A Different Chosen
by GodsShadow
Summary: Arceus decided that having Ash as his Chosen wasn't a good choice. So what does he do? He unleashes a Maelstrom upon the Pokemon world! Aura Guardian Naruto. Naruto x Harem.
1. A Maelstrom Unleashed!

Chapter One: A Maelstrom Unleashed!

"GET BACK HERE YOU DEMON!"

A black and yellow blur dashed through the corridors, desperate to escape its pursuer. He couldn't stop for a moment or it would be all over for him. He sped up desperate to escape the monsters that were chasing him.

"When I get my hands on you there will be Hell to pay!" The Assailant shouted following the pest that dared to cross her.

"Not like you ever will, you old HAG!" Naruto shouted back as he made a quick turn around one of the many hallways that made up his family's home. This was going to be his last day here at his cousin's home, where he had been raised all of his life, and he wouldn't be Naruto Uzumaki if he didn't go out with a bang. Dropping a small capsule in his wake he redoubled his efforts and made a dash for the only safe place in the palace.

"ARRGH" He heard behind him as his paint bomb went off covering his irritated follower in a lovely shade of orange.

He was being chased by Hilga, the stereotypical scary old hag. He had spent the last hour dodging the various staff members that had been chasing him since he set off a series of stink bombs and sticky-feather traps in the servants quarters. (Only the older members of the staff, of course, he didn't want to traumatize the younger ones before they even get started.)

And so he was running, dodging and ducking through the various hallways and corridors that made up the Cameran Palace. He lived here with his mother, an Aura Guardian Master working for the Order of Aura Guardians, based in the Kingdom of Rota. Naruto had a very close relationship with his mother, being more like best friends than mother and son. It helped that she was still a bit childish and didn't look a day over twenty.

His Cousin was Queen Ilene, which made him the bona-fide Prince until she birthed an heir. He didn't care about that though and everytime the staff tried to force manners and dignity on him he resisted with equal force... And paint bombs.

He didn't mind being respectful or serious when he needed to be, but they expected him to be perfect! They wanted him to act like he owned the world and speak formally all the time. It was like they wanted him to act like a... like a... like a prince! It was ridiculous!

 _'Tch... Not that I'll ever let them corrupt me like that,'_ Naruto thought as he crossed into an open corridor nearing his destination.

Then he saw it, safety, sanctity, that was the only way to describe such a feeling of relief that flooded through him as he ran for the large doors that led into one of the palace's bedroom chambers.

Naruto practically broke down the door with the force he slammed it open with. He rushed into the room and immediately closed the door behind him and leaned his back into it as if trying to keep out his pursuer. He quickly scanned the room searching for his only savior. When he saw his target resting at the dining table and did the only thing a soon-to-be sixteen-year-old young man would do in that situation.

"MOOOOM, SAVE ME!" He shouted as he dove straight into his mother's bosom.

* * *

Kushina Uzumaki was enjoying her early morning with a wonderful breakfast provided by her maids' excellent cooking. She had just finished getting dressed and was planning her day while eating, enjoying the sounds of the early Pidgeys chirping outside her window. The Uzumaki have always been early risers so it was no surprise when she woke before dawn. She was just happy to have such a peaceful morning.

That was until something crashed into her door with all the force of a Ryhorn. Startled, She stood up and spun around ready to meet her attacker, only to be met with a flying tackle by her only son.

"KYAA!" She let out a cute shriek, as they both fell to the floor in a mess. Her son was holding on to her like a lifeline. Just as she was about to ask what had him so worried, the doors flew open again and entered Hilga, the palace's scariest maid. Well, she would be, if her hair wasn't covered in Pidgey feathers and her maid uniform more orange than a Magikarp. Her face, however, still managed to convey her fury at the castle's resident prankster. She seemed to have it out for the young Uzumaki since day one, which only made him target her the most with his pranks.

"Now your cornered you little DEM-" Hilga was cut off when she noticed where exactly she was.

"Madam! Forgive my intrusion I was jus-" Hilga started after realizing she just barged into the bedchamber of the Queen's Aunt.

"Quiet!" Kushina silenced her maid's explanation, considering the orange paint, it was clear what had happened here. She looked down at her son who was still buried in her chest and pulled him off so she could get to her feet. It was then that she was struck by every mother's weakness, Puppy-Dog Eyes. Naruto was looking up at her, his arms still wrapped around her, his eyes slightly watering and his lower lip quivering as he silently pleaded for his mother to rescue him. She caved instantly.

"Leave us. I need to talk to my son alone." She said with a stern look at her maid.

"But madam-" Hilga was cut off yet again by her mistress.

"Enough! I will handle my son, for now, go get cleaned up you are getting paint all over my bedrooms' carpet." Kushina said glaring at the paint that was dripping off of the maid's uniform.

"Very well mistress" The maid bowed and left, not bothering to disguise the smug look on her face, thinking the brat was going to get torn into by his mother.

As soon as the doors closed, however, both Uzumaki burst out in laughter. Kushina being quite the prankster herself when she was younger, never really tried to curb her son's behavior. As long as he kept the pranks harmless of course. She loved watching the aftermath as the more serious members of the maid staff got pranked into oblivion by her son. While some of them truly thought these pranks were a nuisance, the majority of the staff loved it. It brought life to a normally stuffy palace as the young prince ran rampant, some of the younger members of the staff even not-so-subtly cheered Naruto on.

Her favorite part had to be the ending of the pranks. No matter how close to catching Naruto the maids would get, every single time he would get away, and every single time he would run for his mother's room. This allowed her to see parts of his pranks and at the same time giving her alone time with her Naruto in the mornings. He would always stay for breakfast with her in the mornings, and they'd talk about his training and projects with Aura.

She was curious about this one in particular though, considering the little side project he'd been telling her about recently.

"So did you finally finish the capsules?" she asked suddenly excited about how he pulled it off.

"Yep! Finished them last night. It works by using Aura to reduce the volume of a liquid so I can store it in a small capsule. The one I used today can be remotely detonated by a signature Aura flare." If there was one thing Naruto was a genius in it was definitely Aura.

"That's so awesome, ya know?!" Kushina exclaimed letting her verbal tic slip out now that they were alone. She always enjoyed discussing ideas for Aura projects with her son, being a Master herself she thought his creative ideas were refreshing compared to the normally strict and stagnant lessons of the Order.

"Did you get it to work for any liquid? Those could be useful for carrying large amounts of water when our knights go on missions." She asked thoughtfully. Some of the missions involving Legendaries or rare Pokemon lasted months, and it was hard for knights to pack for such trips.

"It works for water too but that's not the main issue," Naruto explained

"While they are compact, they still weigh the same amount, even the small paint capsules are heavy for their size so I'd have to do something about that first. Then I'd need some way to release the water without it exploding. Right now it works by simply releasing the Aura that was keeping the liquid compact, causing the rise in volume to explode out of the small capsule forcefully. If we were using it for water I would have to make some kind of gentler method. Hmmm, maybe a tap? I'd need to reinforce the capsule too in order for it to survive travel. Then I'd-"

"Naruto! I get it, it's not going to work right now." Kushina cut off her son's rambling with a laugh, he always gets lost in thought when it came to his projects. If she didn't stop him now he wouldn't stop until nightfall. Or whenever his stomach distracted him.

"Right, well I'll work on it soon. Now that I've got the basic idea on how to compact it, getting it travel worthy shouldn't be too hard." He murmured, already sorting through his ideas and making a mental checklist for the items he'd need.

"Well then, how about you join me for that breakfast you interrupted?" She asked, already sitting down at her dining table.

"Right, sorry about that," He said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The rest of the morning passed swiftly with the two passing ideas for other projects and talking about training. After they had both eaten he left her to go get ready for the big day and find his partner. Today was an important day for him, being the day he leaves home. But it was also a big day for the Order as a whole because today they chose the next Grandmaster.

* * *

While making his way back to his own room he reflected on the past. His mother was the princess of a long line of Aura Guardians. The Uzumaki. No one really knows where they came from, they just showed up long ago and helped found the Order of Aura Guardians. Their most notable features being their red hair and regal appearance. Each Uzumaki had their own ability that was completely unique. Some simple, and others extravagant. Things like being immune to fire, the ability to nullify psychic powers, or his mother's own Aura Chains.

Sadly, the Uzumaki had died out a long time ago to do some natural disaster, as far as they are aware Naruto and Kushina are the last ones alive.

His own ancestry was considered Royal because of their powerful Aura and potent bloodline, each generation born with powerful abilities, usually centered around defensive abilities. His mother's chains can be used to restrain Pokemon and channel her own Aura into them, forcing the Pokemon's natural Aura into submission, effectively calming them. This has been a massive boon to the Order, reserving her for missions dealing with powerful berserk Pokemon. A nice benefit of this was that she was essentially permanently on reserve, allowing her to raise Naruto with only a scarce amount of missions taking her away.

Naruto's own ability was rather strange because it seemed to be a mutation of his mother's chains. While normally an Uzumaki's ability would be completely random, his seemed to be based on hers. Naturally, this pleased his mother greatly, giving her something else in common with her son. The abilities weren't identical however, Naruto's was much more inclined to restraining pokemon rather than calming them. Kushina's chains are a glittering gold and she can only produce them from her own body, making it awkward when attempting to hold Pokemon down or capture them. Naruto's, however, is a shining silver, and he could produce them from any solid surface in his vision. Instead of injecting his Aura into Pokemon, his chains hardened when he channeled his Aura through them. He named his Adamantine Chains because he had yet to see a Pokemon escape his grasp.

His thoughts were broken when he arrived at his own room, conveniently right next to a large private training field. He was offered the room next to his mother's but with the amount of time he spent in training, having his room for any reason besides sleeping was redundant. Even then he occasionally slept outside after training anyway.

He quickly showered and got dressed in his usual training gear, just some simple combat pants wrapped at the ankles, and a muscle shirt. Then he headed out to start his daily routines. It was still very early, the sky still dark and the sun just showing signs of rising. So he began his routine meditation, sitting down outside by a small pond, letting his thoughts slip away while he focused on his Aura.

He first started meditating immediately once his training began. He hated it at first but soon grew to love it as it let him calm down and enjoy his mornings alongside his Partner. He had been studying Aura for a decade now and training his body physically just as long. Most trainees would learn from a Knight or Master for at least a year in order to grasp the very basics of Aura control. Naruto, on the other hand, took to it like a fish to water. He doesn't control Aura, he _understands it._

If it can be done with Aura, Naruto knows how, and if it can't be done, give him a week to prove you wrong.

It baffled the Masters of Aura when he started his training. He learned everything they had relating Aura with only the first or second time hearing it and a brief example. It only took him a few weeks and he was molding Aura better than the Adepts. That wasn't to say he slacked off in his training just because it was so easy. No, he trained hard both physically and mentally, spending countless hours training with the few Masters left, and whenever he had breaks or days off he would simply go to the library and start his own self-study. Or challenge the local fighting Pokemon to spars. When he turned ten he started his own experiments under the watchful eye of his mother. This was were his abilities truly shined, his creativity and natural grasp of Aura mixed perfectly and gave him plenty of ideas. Most of which shone through in his pranks. He created a type of paint that would deteriorate in just a few hours by mixing it with Aura. Various bombs that would launch an assortment of hilarious pranks including, sticky Pidgey feathers, itching powder, and his personal favorite glitter.

In a stroke of genius, he tried his hand at creating a better storage system for wandering trainers. He called it 'Sealing' because it worked by storing things away in small pocket dimensions and used Aura to push and pull items in and out of the storage. While he did finally come up with a working method, using a backpack as the base he covered the inside with Aura 'Seals' and used it to anchor the input for the pocket dimension. So in order to store things you simply needed to cover an object in Aura and place it inside the backpack. Then to retrieve an item you reach in and summon it with Aura. The downside to this method is that it needed a highly skilled Aura Guardian to operate in fact, only the Masters have been able to so far. This invention was highly desired by the Knights though, as it allowed them to store vast amounts of supplies and medicine for their missions.

"Master," A soft melodic voice called out to him.

Taking a deep breath and finishing his meditation he uncrossed his legs and stood up. Naruto looked to his side to see his Partner and only Pokemon, a strong female Lucario looking back at him. He had long given up on trying to stop her from calling him Master, as most Lucario are duty-bound to respect Aura Guardians. He supposed he could've been called something worse like "Your Majesty" Naruto shivered at the thought.

He had been together with his beloved Partner for the last six years. Normally, one was supposed to get their Aura Partner once they had become an Adept. Naruto, seeing as he was still far too young at the time was given his once he turned ten, the old regulation for Pokemon Trainers.

Partners are chosen by a few factors, Typing, Gender, and finally Aura Bonding.

Typing is decided by Aura Affinity. There are two standard Pokemon given as Partners, Lucario for those attuned to the physical aspects of Aura, and Togekiss for those attuned to the mental aspects. Naturally, with his Chains and physical abilities, he was heavily leaning on the physical side.

Next was Gender, in order for the Partners to be as compatible as possible, they conduct tests to see which gender of Pokemon the Guardian is best with. Naruto was to be given a female Partner, not very surprising considering the only family he has left is his Mother and Female Cousin, and the fact he spends his time surrounded by maids. He naturally gets along with women better.

Aura Bonding, comparatively, has a rather easy test. They simply put the chosen Guardian blindfolded in a room full of the chosen types and genders and tell them to pick one. The Guardian then goes to whichever Riolu or Togepi resonates with them. Naruto had gone through this process and chosen a Riolu that had just recently hatched from an egg, feeling naturally drawn to her. He was quite shocked when he took his blindfold off though. Instead of staring at a black and blue Riolu like he'd assumed he was instead looking at a small black and _white_ Riolu shyly shuffling under his gaze. Due to the beauty of her white coat, he'd named her Grace. A name which she happily complied to.

"The ceremony starts soon Master, Kushina wants you to skip the morning training and get prepared," Grace told him.

"What?! It's only like eight in the morning! Why are we having it so early?" Naruto said bemusedly.

"She figured since you are starting your Journey today, we would have it in the morning so you would still have time to head to Pewter City." Grace explained.

"Why didn't Mom tell me it was this early? That seems kind of important don't you think?"

"She, uh... forgot." Grace nervously replied

He sighed at that. _'Really should've seen that one coming, all this time and she's still an airhead.'_

"Alright let's get this over with!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran back to his room, Grace hot on his heels. They both had to look their best, this was an important day after all.

* * *

 **Time Skip – 2 Hours Later – 10:00 am**

It was time, the first Grandmaster since Sir Aaron was about to be chosen. The Order of Aura Guardians decided a new Grandmaster was needed to truly revive the Order to its former glory.

The Order Hierarchy works based on Aura Proficiency.

 **Grandmaster** \- The Very top of the Order, this is the big man in charge he gives commands to all other members of the Order and is expected to be the strongest Guardian (while that isn't always the case, it usually is.) Grandmasters are recommended by the current Masters and chosen by the Queen of Rota.

 **Assistant Grandmaster** \- This is the Grandmaster's right hand, they handle most of the busy work for the Grandmaster and give out missions while he is away. They are chosen by the Grandmaster, when appointed, and must be a current Master.

 **Master** \- These are the Guardians that have reached the pinnacle of Aura training, some of the strongest in the Order, these only take emergency missions so they can stay at Rota and train the Adepts and Trainees.

 **Knight** – The meat of the Order is made up of Knights. The Knights are wandering Aura Guardians usually traveling and solving problems as they go, Knights also search for latent talent in Aura, either recruiting them as Squires or sending them to Rota to become Trainees.

 **Squires** – Following the Knight as they travel around the regions, Squires learn everything they can about Aura while watching the Knight handle various situations. They are also required to take care of the Knights basic needs while traveling (Setting camp, gathering food and water, etc.) in order to promote survival training.

 **Adept** – Adepts are people who have finished basic training at Rota and are choosing an area of Aura to focus their studies on as they continue their training. Adepts receive a Partner when their Master deems them ready.

 **Trainees** – The very bottom of the rung. The Trainees are the ones who spend the most time in study, learning everything they can about the basics of Aura under the watch of the Masters.

Right now it only had three masters, a handful of knights and a dozen Adepts and Squires. Not really a world-power like the Pokemon Rangers. But this was a new beginning, starting today the Order was making a comeback, the Knights would be dispatched to find Squires and take their missions on the road. While the Masters would watch over the training of the Adepts and trainees.

Naruto was inside the Throne Room of Cameran Palace, dressed in his Aura Guardian attire. He wore a black sleeveless vest with a zipper in the front, alongside thick black cargo pants and his steel-toed combat boots. Over his vest, he wore a deep navy blue trenchcoat with black flames on the bottom rim, and the symbol for the Order displayed proudly on the center of his back. He had a black and blue headband wrapped around his forehead with the Order's symbol in the center.

The Ceremony was taking place the Throne Room a large, corridor-like room with the Throne at one end the entrance at the other. There were banners for both Rota and the Order displayed around the room, showing the close relationship of the two. A large red carpet led up to the Throne from the entrance serving as a massive walkway.

The entire Order was assembled together for this event. Alongside the left wall, the Trainees were kneeling in a row, and in front of them, the Adepts were kneeling as well. Alongside the right wall, the Squires were kneeling grouped up together behind their respective Knight.

The Masters were kneeling in front of the Throne lined up behind the future Grandmaster.

Naruto, however, was in the very front kneeling in front of Queen Ilene, heart pounding in his chest, as she read the responsibilities of the new Grandmaster. He was chosen for this duty because of his Royal nature, close relationship with the current Queen, and similarities with Sir Aaron himself.

As Queen Ilene finished his responsibilities she moved to the most important part of the ceremony the **Vows**.

The Vows were important because similar to the induction into the Order, they were bound by Aura itself. If a person were to break these Vows, they would lose their Aura forever. As well as being cast out from the Order. Although such a thing has never happened before, the Vows were in place for a reason. It was a total commitment that everyone who made it understood.

"Do you swear, to watch over the Order, to protect it from threats with all your strength?"

"I do."

"Do you swear, to protect all Pokemon, should you find them in danger?"

"I do."

"Do you swear, to prevent the use of Aura against an innocent?"

"I do."

"And will you watch over the next generation of the Order, guiding them and protecting them while they grow?"

"I will."

"Then rise Naruto Uzumaki, our new Grandmaster and take up your roles for the Order."

He smirked.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **Well, there is the first chapter done, I plan on having the normal ones be longer but since this is the start I kept it short.**

 **Should Hinata be in the Harem? I wasn't originally going to put her in because I can't really see her as a Pokemon battler, maybe as a Nurse?**

 **Should Misty be in the Harem? Leaf was going to be my only one at the beginning, simply because she isn't used that much and I can mold her as I wish. but Misty shows up immediately so I need to know now.**


	2. A New Leaf!

Chapter Two: A New Leaf!

A tall, blonde, whiskered, young man stands on top of a hill, stretching his limbs from his morning run, as he looked down at the scenery and enjoyed the fresh morning air. His cerulean blue eyes gazed down at the foot of the hill where a small, sleepy town sat. He was wearing his normal Guardian Trenchcoat ensemble, with the addition of a black and blue over-the-shoulder Backpack and a small black X-Transceiver attached to his wrist. The X-Transceiver was a birthday gift from his mother so she would know he wasn't getting into _too_ much trouble. He had gone ahead and gotten the numbers of most of the Order just in case any emergencies popped up that needed his attention.

 _'There it is,'_ Naruto thought, _'Now we can really get this Journey started.'_

He had just woken up after camping the night in the forest of Route 1. Deciding to make good time and knock-out his morning jog at the same time, he ran almost the entire way to Pallet from just outside of Viridian City.

After the Ceremony, not much happened at Rota, well, not directly involving him at least. They knew he was ready to get moving so after appointing his mother as his Assistant Grandmaster, he left the busy work to her, then grabbed his bag and set out. It only took him the rest of the day to fly past Pewter City and set up camp on the outskirts of Viridian. He could have slept in the Pokemon Center, he supposed, but where would the adventuring spirit be without camping?

 _'Totally not because sleeping on the outskirts just meant I was that much closer to Pallet Town,'_ Naruto tried and failed to convince himself.

As for why he was heading to Pallet? Well, he needed to get his official Trainer's License from Professor Oak. While he was an Aura Guardian now, he still didn't have the right to carry Pokemon Officially yet, so a quick stop in Pallet and then he will be set loose.

He took this moment to sit down and take a breather, glancing at his X-Transceiver he noticed it was only half-past six. Considering he has to be at the lab at 8:30 he's got quite a bit of time to burn.

 _'Guess we'll go early and see if he'll allow it, if not we can always hang around the Ranch or I can train with Grace,'_ He thought to himself. Speaking of the beautiful white and black Pokemon, she was currently trailing behind him. He had tried to go leave her with Kushina and have her transfer the ball to the lab once his license was verified, but Grace didn't like the idea of Naruto going alone so she refused to stay at Rota.

After a small headache, they found a small solution. People without trainer Licenses were not allowed to carry Pokemon, that was true. However, if Grace's Pokeball was still sitting in Rota who was to stop her from simply following Naruto herself? Perfectly sound and not-at-all Illegal, he still doesn't really want to explain anything to any nearby Officer Jennys so he had just another reason to high-tail it to Pallet Town.

After a bit of resting up, he grabbed his bag and stretched his legs, ready to set off again. Grabbing Grace's attention they both started making their way down the hill. As he got closer, he realized Pallet was bigger than it looked from the hill. Most likely due to the high treeline in the area, which most of the houses were concealed by. There were at least a few dozen houses lined up between him and what he could see of the Pokemon lab, he even noticed a small Pokemon Center beside it.

 _'Makes sense,'_ Naruto supposed, _'With a lab that big and fresh batches of Trainers coming in monthly, some sort of medical staff would have to be in town.'_ He was cut out of his thoughts by the sound of a small crowd chatting about something. They were standing in front of one of the larger houses as if waiting for something. Naruto just raised an eyebrow and continued on his way.

 _'Must be a local thing,'_ He dismissed the thought as he arrived in front of the lab. Naruto and Grace entered quickly somehow being completely disregarded by the crowd outside. You'd think the shiny unfamiliar Pokemon would catch someone's eye right?

"Man, it has been a while since I've seen Oak," He voiced his thoughts as he entered the front of the lab. He'd been here briefly with his Mother when he was younger in order to discuss some business with Professor Oak's Ranch. Until the Order had its own Pokemon Preserve set up, they used to send the Pokemon that they had found endangered or homeless to the Ranch. Professor Oak would take care of them and search for Trainers for them, while the Order set up their own. It had finished when he was about twelve, so Naruto hadn't really been back since.

His family still maintained a good relationship with the Professor though, and the Order's Preserve often traded Pokemon with the lab when Trainers didn't want theirs or requested one.

The entrance to the lab was rather simple. It had some small bookshelves lining each side of the room, and some chairs and tables set up for people to wait in case the Professor was busy or out. He walked through the entryway into the main lab, he could see a large machine in the center of the room holding three Pokeballs. Beside the machine was a small bench where a young girl was sitting. He noticed the Professor focused on typing something on his computer, so he took a moment to examine her.

Admittedly, she was cute. Long brown hair flowed down to her back, two bangs framing her face down to her cheekbones. Two doe-brown eyes glanced at him and around the lab, nervously, as she waited for the Professor to finish. She wore a small sky-blue tanktop over a black undershirt. A red skirt covered her thighs and went down to her knees and a small belt wrapped around her waist to hold her Pokeballs. Her outfit finished by a matching pair of red and white Premier Ball hat and sneakers. Beside the bench laid a yellow backpack.

* * *

Unknown to Naruto, the girl was doing the same. She let her eyes trail over his form, appreciating the muscles he let show through his outfit, and his arms he left exposed. She noticed his hair was brighter than most blondes and he had strange...Scars? Birthmarks? She couldn't tell but they looked like cute whiskers on his face. They made her feel like if she reached out and touched them, he'd start purring in her hand. His eyes stared back at her, his bright blue eyes analyzing her and she felt like he was judging her with his intense gaze. She met his eyes and her heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her. She'd been caught staring. Just as he was about to open his mouth the Professor walked over.

* * *

"Ah, Naruto my boy! I was told you'd be by today. I didn't hear you come in my apologies." He was brought out of his staring by the Professor who approached him.

"I was expecting you to be by much later though, I have some new Trainers to sort out and was going to get you settled afterward." He said gesturing to the young girl waiting patiently.

"No problem at all Old Man, you looked so immersed in your work I didn't want to disturb you. I made the trip faster than I expected so I decided to drop by and see when you wanted to work with me." Naruto replied.

"I see, well the other trainers won't be here for another half-hour so we can do yours first," Ignoring Naruto's jab at his age, he was well aware Naruto didn't mean anything bad by it. "What specifically was it you needed again? I was busy sorting out the Dexes for the new Trainers I forgot to check your notice." Oak said chuckling a bit at himself.

"I came here to get my License so I could start my Journey. Here is the Pokedex the Order provided I just need you to update it and Verify the License on it." He said handing the Professor a black and blue Pokedex, the symbol of the Order on the back of its case. This caught the girl's attention, she perked up and started focusing on the conversation.

"Of course! It is an honor to be the one sponsoring the Order's Prodigy after all. Give me just a moment and I will update this software for you, I assume you want the Guardian License yes?" The Professor plugged the Pokedex into the computer he was using earlier, running through some basic programs to update the software to access the National Pokedex.

"Yes, the Guardian License allows me to carry an additional team and a few Ranger Balls, in case of emergencies," Naruto explained while watching the Professor work.

Ranger Pokeballs. One of the more useful devices developed by the Pokemon League. While normal Ranger's have their Capture Stylers, they aren't without faults. For one, Capture Stylers can only 'tame' one Pokemon at a time. If there were a case of a Pokemon stampede or something of the like, a Styler wouldn't be that useful. This is where the Ranger Balls come in, they capture Pokemon like a normal Pokeball, except the Ball is designed to either instantly lock into stasis, or automatically teleport to Ranger HQ. This allows Rangers to move endangered or rampaging Pokemon with ease.

As a sign of Goodwill with the Order, the Rangers agreed to send a large supply of these Balls. Given to the highest ranking Knights, and the Masters, anytime they are on a mission to capture rampaging or dangerous Pokemon they can send it to Ranger HQ and let them choose what to do with it.

"Now Naruto, that Lucario behind you is yours, right? You know you're not supposed to have Pokemon with you yet, and such an action could get your License suspended before you even activate it, right?" The Professor said in a stern tone while glancing at the stunning white Lucario behind him silently wishing he could study it for a day. Unfornutely that Pokemon was most likely Naruto's Partner and he knew that asking to run tests on it could end very poorly for him. He knew Guardians and their Partners were extremely protective of each other.

"Of course Professor, I do not have Grace's Pokeball with me, she is my Partner and naturally was worried for me when I headed out alone. Since I had to pass through a few Routes to get here, so she followed me. I was planning on using your Pokeball Transfer Device while I was here to retrieve her Ball from my Mother after you finished my License of course." He said with a cheeky smirk.

Oak wasn't buying it, but he supposed he'd let it go this time, not like there was anything wrong with a Pokemon looking out for someone's safety after all. "Done!" He said sliding the Dex out of the PC and handing it back to Naruto.

"All right you're good to go, if you wish to use the Transfer Device it's opposite my PC, it has a built-in video-phone if you need to make a call first. I recommend you take a look at your Dex before you leave and make sure everything works properly so you won't have to come back later."

"Thank you, Professor! I'll go grab Grace's Ball and then I'll be out of your hair," He said, only getting a dismissive wave back from Oak who was already back to work on his computer.

Naruto pinged his mother on his X-Transceiver letting her know he was in Pallet and ready for the Transfer, setting up the device and accepting the Transfer he only had to wait a moment before it went through.

"Transfering Pokeballs from Cameran Palace to Professor Oak's laboratory... Complete" A mechanical voice said as the Transfer finished and a small black and blue Pokeball materialized on the tray. Recalling Grace, for the time being, he walked over to the only bench in the room.

"Mind if I sit here?" Naruto asked the cute girl who had been silently watching his business with the Professor.

"Not at all," She replied a bit quietly, refusing to meet his eyes as her face turned a bit pink. She was still trying to digest the conversation between the Professor and Naruto. It seemed like Naruto was becoming a Trainer today but half of that conversation went over her head. And what was that white Pokemon? She'd never seen anything like that around Kanto before.

Naruto sat down and immediately opened his new Dex filling out some of the personal information, testing a few of the menus, and setting up apps he needed to connect to his X-transceiver and access the Global Maps.

After he had finished configuring the settings to his liking, he heard a feminine robotic voice call out.

"Greetings Trainer, I am **The Adjutant** an Artificial Intelligence, designed to assist Aura Guardian Naruto Uzumaki in his travels. I can provide a National Pokedex, Official Identification, access to Global Maps and local regional databases, emergency contact with nearby Police Stations and Pokemon Centers, and a variety of other features."

 _'Well damn, that's useful, Mom really pulled out all the stops for this didn't she?'_ Naruto thought completely ignoring the incredulous looks coming from the girl beside him. _'Well that's enough for now,'_ he thought, slipping the device into one of his many pockets and hooking Grace's Pokeball onto the Pokeball Belt he was wearing. He turned to the girl beside him who was still watching silently.

"So what's your name? My name's Naruto Uzumaki," he said, suddenly feeling very rude by spending the last ten minutes ignoring her to play with his new Pokedex.

"Leaf Green," she replied still a bit nervous sitting here in the lab. "I came here to get my starter Pokemon and my Trainer License but I came a bit too early and have to wait for the other three Trainers."

"Oh, really? What starter do you want? I'm gonna be relaxing here for a while anyway before I head out toward Pewter so you want me to wait here with you? Better than sitting in silence right?" Naruto said, happy he was finally getting her to talk a bit.

"I was wanting a Bulbasaur but I'm not sure if I'm going to get one, there are only three starters but four Trainers are choosing today. I like Grass Pokemon so I was worrying all night about it, and yes I'd like it if you'd stay until I leave. I feel like I've been waiting for hours already." She said once again back into her nervous tone.

He smiled at her reassuringly, "I'm sure you don't need to worry. Considering how much the Professor does this, I'm sure he has a spare set of starters just in case more than three people show up, or two people want the same starter." Naruto said, their conversation cut off by a loud crashing noise. They both looked over to see a suddenly sweating Professor picking up a large stack of books he had dropped.

Leaf didn't seem to make the connection but Naruto definitely did. _'Dammit old man you didn't prepare more did you?!'_ Naruto thought mildly annoyed, he was well aware of how absent-minded Oak could be when it came to things like this, but still, he'd figure out a way to make it work. At least for his new friend.

Leaf seemed quite relieved at Naruto's words. "Of course the Professor has spares! For some reason, that thought didn't even cross my mind. Guess I was getting all worked up over nothing." She said as she slunk into her seat. This time they both ignored the loud crash and silent cursing being done by the Professor.

Finally after a few more minutes of waiting for the door opened revealing two of the missing Trainers, one was a short spiky brown-haired boy with a strut in his step and a cocky smirk on his face. Naruto immediately disliked this guy, there were VERY few things in life Naruto could say he hated and arrogance was up near the top of the list.

The other Trainer was more normal dressed in simple green trainer gear and a baseball cap, his gait was more determined. As the start of a Trainer's Journey should be. Naruto could tell this one was going far if he challenged the League. His eyes were locked on the left Pokeball in the machine, marked with a small flame sticker.

 _'Hmm, maybe this will be easier than I thought it would be,'_ he thought as he also noticed the bratty one staring at the water-drop sticker like it was his ticket to fame. ' _Hopefully, the Fourth Trainer isn't looking forward to a Bulbasaur, I think Leaf is too nice to refuse if they asked for it,'_ The Professor noticed the Trainers lined up in front of the machine anxiously and headed over.

"Gramps! We are all here let's get going already! I've got loyal fans waiting for me!" The bratty one shouted his nose high in the air with his arms crossed in what Naruto could only guess was supposed to be a "dramatic pose."

"All right, we are one short but considering it's already ten minutes past time, we will just have to begin without them. Each of you are about to begin your own Pokemon Journeys so you each will be given a Pokedex, a set of standard Pokeballs, Potions, and finally your very own Pokemon!" He said dramatically loving the awestruck look on the kids' faces.

"Now be sure to take care of each of these items, especially your Pokedex! Your Dex can be used to identify Pokemon, yes, but that is its most basic feature. It is also used as a debit card, Identification, and most importantly your Trainer page! If lost, you will not be able to replace the data that it records, so any Non-League sanctioned battles will be wiped from your profile when and IF the Professor replaces your Dex. These stats may not seem important, but to Gym Leaders and Pokemon League Officials they basically describe your competence as a Trainer." He finished his speech and handed out the items to each one of the Trainers.

"Now all there is left is to choose a starter, we have three to choose from. On your left is Charmander a Fire-type, in the middle is Squirtle a Water-type, and on the right is Bulbasaur a Grass/Poison-type. One of you come forward and choose first," He said looking at the bratty one in particular.

Naruto, though, wasn't having it. Before the kid could step up he cleared his throat getting the attention of the room. "I think it's only fair that the fine lady here goes first don't you Professor?" He said with a small glare, daring the Professor to speak differently.

"O-Of course!" He said nervously knowing not to go against Naruto now that he had the girl's hopes up. "Now come forward and choose whichever you like Leaf," the Professor said gesturing to the Pokeballs.

"Oh, thank you! I choose Bulbasaur!" She said reaching for the Ball marked with a Leaf. She then spun around and showed it to Naruto, who smiled and gave her a small thumbs up. The bratty one seemed to be tired of waiting so he strutted forward and grabbed the Squirtle.

"Only the best Pokemon for the best Trainer! Too bad for you Ritchie but you'll just have to settle for the lizard." The Bratty One said with mocking laughter as he left the lab.

The newly named Ritchie however, didn't even seem to hear him as he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Once he realized it was his turn he grabbed the remaining Ball and released it.

"Charmander," a small orange lizard said as it scanned the room, locating the one who released it, the Charmander ran forward and latched onto Ritchie's leg. "Chaa," it said as it nuzzled into his leg and looked up at him. Ritche bent down to rub it's head when Oak spoke up.

"Well, he seems to like you, Ritchie! This Charmander is male and knows the moves Scratch, Growl, Ember, and Smokescreen. Are you planning on giving him a name?"

"How about Zippo!" Ritchie said, still rubbing the Charmander's head. Hearing a small "Chaa" in approval he let go and said his thanks to Professor Oak before racing outside, Zippo hot on his heels.

"Well they seemed to be in quite the hurry didn't they!" The professor exclaimed watching the boys run out, he turned to the two remaining. "Well, any plans before you start your Journey? I'm interested to see what you are going to be doing first, Naruto," he asked while rubbing his chin.

"I'm heading for the Gym Circuit! First stop in Pewter, so I'll need to head back to Viridian City and probably rest there for the night. I was in a rush on the way here so I think I'll take it slow and look for some team members along the way." Naruto replied with the Professor nodding thoughtfully.

"A solid plan, I wish you luck Naruto. How about you Leaf? Any lofty goals you are shooting towards?" Oak asked the young Trainer.

"Well, when I was younger I always wanted to be a member of the Elite Four. I admired Agatha, the Ghost Pokemon Trainer, and wanted to join myself. Since they each have type specialties, I wanted to be a Grass Pokemon Master. I have always loved Grass Pokemon especially since my Mother has a Weepinbell." She said a little shy about being put on the spot.

"Splendid! The Elite Four are all great Trainers, it is an excellent goal to work toward. You will have to work hard and take your training seriously if you want to make it." He said in a stern tone.

"Well, I wish you both the best of luck on your Journeys. You should probably get moving if you want to make it to Viridian before nightfall." He advised before disappearing back into the lab.

"Well, congratulations on becoming a Trainer, Leaf! I was wondering if you were planning on heading to Viridian today or if you were sticking around Pallet? If you are heading out then we should travel together! It'll be much more fun I promise!" Naruto said his excitement at finally starting his Journey getting the better of him.

"Thanks, Naruto, and I would love to travel with you. To be honest, I was worried sick about traveling on my own. I have experience with Pokemon thanks to my family, but I've never camped out or anything, so being alone would be kind of frightening." She said slightly blushing at the thought of being alone with Naruto for the foreseeable future.

"No worries I have plenty of experience just leave it all to me!" He said playfully flexing his arms and striking a pose. Naturally, this made her blush once again so she covered it up by turning and walking out of the lab, Naruto following after.

Naruto ended up walking straight into the back of a frozen Leaf when they exited the lab. Looking ahead he could see why she was stunned, there was a large crowd of at least 30 people standing outside practically worshipping the Bratty One. He saw signs and banners all wishing the Trainers well on their Pokemon Journeys.

 _'Well at least they have Town-Spirit, but why are they all fawning over the Brat?'_ His thoughts were broken by the sound of shrieking, looking past the crowd he saw a small group of... Cheerleaders?

"KYAAA Gary is the coolest!"

"Gary, Gary, He's our man if he can't do it no one can!"

Naruto suddenly was struck with an overwhelming feeling of dread. _'So THESE are those "Fan Girls" Mom spent hours warning me about,'_ Naruto thought with a shiver. _'Hopefully, I don't gain any on my Journey. I don't think I could live with that.'_

When suddenly the crowd noticed Naruto and Leaf standing there, he did the only reasonable thing he could think of.

He grabbed Leafs hand and ran like a Bat-Out-of-Hell.

* * *

"AHH" Leaf was mercilessly dragged along with Naruto as the fled for the edge of Pallet Town. Once they made it up the hill Naruto had been at earlier, he let go of her hand and they both slumped down to rest.

"Haha, sorry about that Leaf," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head. "But I felt like we would be in some kind of danger if we stayed there any longer."

"Haaa, it's fine I know what you mean. That was just crazy, the Town is normally so peaceful! I'm not really sure what that was about." Leaf said thinking about what changed in the normally sleepy town.

"Well, this is a good time to get introduced! We should at least know a bit about each other if we are going to be together," Naruto said completely missing how his words could be misinterpreted.

Leaf blushed at the double-meaning but decided to ignore it. "Didn't we already introduce ourselves though? Unless you forgot my name already!" She said with a playful glare.

"Nah, that's not what I meant," he said with a light laugh. "I mean properly introduce ourselves, likes, dislikes, that kind of thing."

"Oh, okay, why don't you go first then since it's your idea."

Naruto took this moment to plop down in front of her, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his knees. "Alright, my name is Naruto Uzumaki it's nice to meetcha! I just turned sixteen today. I like to train and eat ramen, I love my Pokemon and my Mother, Kushina, I also love to tinker with Aura" Leaf made a mental note to ask about that as he continued. "I dislike arrogant people and people who look down on others. As for Pokemon, I like all types but I have the most experience with Fighting-types thanks to Grace and my family." He said rubbing Grace's Pokeball with his thumb. "My dream is to become the greatest Pokemon Master ever! I won't let anything stop me from achieving it, and my first step is the Indigo League!" He spoke of his dream with conviction, impressing Leaf with his determination.

"That's a great goal! My name is Leaf Green, and I just turned fifteen two weeks ago." She said noticing Naruto leaned in to focus on her words. "I like Strawberries, Chocolate, and Grass Pokemon. I dislike liars and people who break promises, and my dream is to become a Grass Pokemon Master and one day join the Elite Four!" She finished, appreciating the mega-watt smile Naruto gave her when she talked about her dream.

"That's great we can train our Pokemon together! Are you planning on entering the Indigo League? We can challenge the Gym Circuit together, that would be a ton of fun!" He said getting excited at the prospect of battling and training with her.

Smiling at his enthusiasm she thought about it for a bit, "I think I will register for the League, I'll have to win sometime if I ever want to challenge the Elite Four. It will probably be better if we go together then."

"Alright! Gym Leaders look out because we are coming for you!" Naruto said pumping a fist in the air. Leaf just giggled a bit at his energy.

"Oh yeah, you just got your starter. Why don't you let him out? We can get you introduced and you can scan him for his Move-Set." Naruto advised.

Leaf just blushed in embarrassment when she realized that she had yet to actually meet her Pokemon and reached for her belt. "Go Bulbasaur!" A small flash of red and white later, and a small green quadrupedal Pokemon appeared. Its skin was covered in dark spots and had a small bulb on it's back. Unsurprisingly, Leaf immediately started gushing over how cute it was. Scooping it up in a big hug, mindful of the bulb on its back, she spun around in a big circle with it, giggling all the while.

Naruto just sweatdropped at this, _'Guess she wasn't kidding when she said she loved grass pokemon.'_ Naruto decided to take this moment to release Grace. Another flash of light and Grace was standing there scanning the area.

"You took longer than you said, Master," She said in her normally soft voice. The unfamiliar voice caught both Leaf and her Bulbasaur's attention, they both were curious about this new figure.

"You have companions." Grace said looking at the two, "I see, so that was the reason for your delay?" She asked looking back at Naruto.

"Yeah, sorry Grace I wasn't expecting it to take so long. This is Leaf and her Bulbasaur, Leaf is taking on the League alongside us so you'll be seeing a lot of these two from now on." Naruto said gesturing to the still hugging duo.

"Greetings, my name is Grace and I am Master Naruto's Partner. I hope we can get along." Grace gave a small bow and smile at the young girl.

"Oh hi! My name is Leaf, forgive me for being rude but are you a Pokemon? I've never heard of a talking Pokemon before!" Leaf said while putting her Bulbasaur down with a final rub on the head.

"You are forgiven. I am a Lucario a Fighting/Steel type, Lucario are usually chosen to be the Partner for Aura Guardians, but are found in Sinnoh. It is no surprise you have never seen one before. As for why I can speak, I'm using Aura to stimulate my vocal cords to allow speech." She said before kneeling down and introducing herself to the Bulbasaur in PokeSpeech.

Leaf walked over beside Naruto "Aura? Aura Guardians? I'm sorry I don't think I've heard of all of this before." She said apologetically. Aura sounds familiar to Leaf but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Ah, it's fine we aren't very well known anymore. Aura Guardians use an energy called Aura in order to imitate Pokemon attacks, among other things. Originally, Aura Guardians traveled around the regions, doing good deeds and searching for apprentices as they traveled. Now we have a base in Rota, where we get sent missions from the Pokemon League and Rangers. These missions can be anything from protecting a known nest of Pokemon, to calming enraged or stampeding Pokemon. We aren't nearly as large as the Rangers, but thanks to our specialties we are much more effective individually. Whenever the Rangers find Pokemon too strong for them to handle alone, they request one of our Knights or Masters for assistance." Naruto explained

"You've probably heard the stories of Sir Aaron? He was a famous Aura Guardian and Hero thanks to his noble sacrifice at the Tree of Beginnings."

"Oh yeah! My Mother used to read me stories about him when I was young." She realized, "Does that mean you are some kind of superhero?" She asked since he had the same profession as Sir Aaron.

"Haha! I guess you could say that!" He said feeling proud of his Order. "Well, I'll explain more about Aura and stuff once we get moving. It's a lot of stuff to cover so for now, why don't you scan Bulbasaur?" He said already pulling out his own Pokedex to scan Grace.

 **Lucario the Aura Pokemon**

 **Lucario, the Aura Pokémon, and the evolved form of Riolu. By sensing the Aura of its opponents, Lucario can read their thoughts and movements.** **Lucario is considered to be prideful and is extremely loyal to its Trainer. It also seems to have a natural sense of justice.**

 **Note: The unusual coloration indicates that this Pokemon is Shiny.**

 **This Lucario is Female and has the Ability Inner Focus and has activated its Hidden Ability Justified.**

 **This Lucario knows the moves – Quick attack, Aura Sphere, Force Palm, Endure, Detect, Counter, Feint, Power-up Punch, Bone Rush, and Laser Focus.**

While Naruto was praising Grace for being such a Badass, Leaf opened her own Pokedex and scanned Bulbasaur.

 **Bulbasaur.**

 **It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and very difficult to capture in the wild.**

 **This Bulbasaur is Male and has the Ability Overgrow.**

 **This Bulbasaur knows the moves – Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, and Sleep Powder.**

Naruto whistled at that, "That's a nice starter Move-set, most only know three moves and Sleep Powder gives you a good amount of utility in early battles." Bulbasaur couldn't resist sticking his nose up at the praise, making both the trainers laugh.

"Thanks, Naruto, I'm eager for my first battle already! Grace has a much larger Move-set though, how'd you get your starter so strong?" Leaf asked.

"While I did get my License today I've been training with Grace at my home for quite a while now so we got a bit of a headstart." ( **1** ) Naruto explained.

Stretching his limbs, and glancing at the clock on his X-Transceiver he said "Well, I think we should get moving if we want to make any progress before lunch, it's just short of nine right now and I'd like to make it to Viridian a few hours before nightfall so I can get some training in with Grace."

"Okay! I'm ready to get moving!" She said cheerfully, "Are we going to keep our Pokemon out while we walk?"

"Yeah I think that'd be a good plan, Grace usually walks beside me everywhere. Plus your Bulbasaur is still young and could use the workout." Leaf agreed with him and decided to call over Bulbasaur so they could get moving.

They set off, heading down Route 1 towards Viridian City. While they walked Naruto and Leaf discussed the various jobs of Aura Guardians and some basic Aura concepts. If she was going to see him use it occasionally it was better that she understood what he was doing.

* * *

 **Timeskip ~12:30**

A few hours later and they were searching for a place to settle down for lunch. Bulbasaur was already showing signs of fatigue, not use to long-distance travel since he spent his entire life on the Ranch. They were currently discussing the various Grass-types in the Kanto region, when a loud roar and a shrill scream interrupted them.

Before Leaf could even react, Naruto was on the move, Grace chasing him just as quickly. Speeding down the path and using his Aura to locate any life forces in the area. His worry doubled when he actually _recognized_ one of the Auras. Channeling Aura into his legs he used a makeshift Agility to increase his speed.

"Grace there's a human and Pokemon ahead use Quick Attack and go on before me!" No sooner did he finish his statement did a silver blur flash past him and vanish into the treeline. Speeding up yet again he finally managed to break through the trees into a large clearing. Immediately he noticed a large lake on his left side, sticking it's massive head out was a fearsome Gyarados glaring down at a young girl that had fallen on her backside.

Before the Gyarados could prepare an attack it was struck in the jaw by a well-placed Quick Attack. Unfortunately, the Gyarados was a bit too large to stay down from one hit and responded by coating itself in a dark shroud and slamming its body back into the white Lucario.

Caught by the unexpected retaliation Grace was thrown back toward the lake, skipping on the water a few times before sinking below.

 _'That was Payback,'_ Naruto realized, snapping his attention back to the threat he saw the Gyarados focus its attention back on the girl. Summoning a sphere of yellow-orange energy in its mouth it charged up one of its signature moves Hyper Beam.

 _'Not gonna happen,'_ Naruto thought. Gathering his own Aura into a sphere, he launched it directly at the mouth of the Gyarados. The Aura Sphere flew faster than it could react and exploded directly in the mouth of the serpent. With a screech of pain, the Gyarados flinched back and fired its de-stabilized Hyper Beam harmlessly into the air.

Knowing that it would take more than that to take down an enraged Gyarados he prepared his Aura for his next move. Jumping in front of the girl, he crouched down and slammed his hands onto the ground. Saturating the air and ground in the area with his Aura, he quickly chose half a dozen locations around the bank and summoned his Adamantine Chains.

As soon as the Gyarados shook off the daze from the blast, it was covered by six Silver Chains. It screeched and Thrashed but couldn't shake off the restraints. Noticing it was about to be captured it let out another mighty roar, and prepared a last-ditch effort. Channeling energy into its tail it was about to fire off a deadly Twister.

Naruto just smirked at the effort, he had hit Grace _himself_ a lot harder than that in training and knew she wouldn't go down so easily. Her pride would never allow herself to fall when Naruto was still standing. "Now Grace! Power-up Punch!" He shouted so she would hear him from under the water. Using her Aura to propel herself up she flew out from directly under the Gyarados and nailed a massive Upper-Cut directly under the beast's chin. Boosted by the Laser-Focus she had prepared while underwater, it did a significant amount of damage despite the type disadvantage. She got out from under it and moved to the side, standing on the water with her Aura.

The Gyarados, now annoyed by the Lucario switched targets and launched it's Twister at Grace instead. The attack moved to fast for her to dodge, hitting her hard and sending her flying back to shore slamming into a tree.

Seeing his Partner get blown away enraged Naruto. Grace was already in a bad matchup fighting a Flying-type, but taking a hit meant for him? This Gyarados is getting an Uzumaki styled beatdown!

Locking his chains in place with a final pulse of Aura, he channeled more into his entire body. Speeding up his reaction time and physical abilities, he rushed forward starting off with one of his favorite Fighting moves, Mach Punch, he slammed his fist in Serpent's chest creating a shockwave and causing it to keel over. Not letting up for a moment he unleashed his strongest move, Close Combat.

"U-" Naruto started, mixing a Sky-Uppercut in with the rain of blows and forcing the Gyarados' head to snap up.

"Zu-" Using a small burst of Flying-Aura to launch himself higher he landed another powerful blow on the Snake's body, practically forcing out of the water despite the Chains holding it down.

"Ma-" Another set of quick blows to the body kept the Gyarados airborne.

"Ki-" Gaining more height he let loose a series of powerful blows on the side of the beast's head

"Naruto Barrage!" He called out his finisher as he finally flipped overhead and let gravity boost his power as he unleashed a powerful Axe-Kick to the back of Gyarados' head, sending it crashing into the bank.

He landed on his feet and went straight back to his Chains. Once he deduced that the Gyarados was truly down, he added another set of Chains and tightened them to the ground. Satisfied that the Chains were tight enough to hold, he glanced over at Grace. Glad to see his friend was already back on her feet, albeit with a limp and clutching her arm. He was a bit worried about that, considering her side had taken the brunt of the Twister **,** but he had faith in his closest friend. Picking up on her Master's worry she sent a small reassurance through the Aura Bond.

Knowing she was okay for the time being he turned to the girl he had saved. Giving her a quick once-over with his Aura Sight, he was happy to see she didn't have any injuries besides being a bit shaken up.

Crouching down and offering his hand, "Are you okay?" He asked

The young girl before him was dressed in a dark-purple hoodie, with violet accents on the shoulders and black sleeves. The Hoodie she was wearing, while slightly baggy, did not hide her generous DD-cup bust. She wore tight dark blue jeans and a pair of black sneakers. Long beautiful dark-purple hair was done in a Princess-Cut and extends down past her waist, covered only by a light-violet Trainer Cap with a Pokemon Nurse Symbol emblazoned on it. Her eyes were a milky white, with a small shade of lavender, adding to her regal features.

When she finally looked up at her savior, her heart stopped. The form of her dashing hero, was a tall, whiskered blonde, worry evident in his bright blue eyes.

"Naruto?" She nearly whispered tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey, Hinata how've you been?" He said cheerfully hopefully trying to lighten the mood. She _did_ just almost get Hyper Beamed after all.

"NARUTO!" She nearly shouted this time throwing his arms around his neck and held onto him like a lifeline.

Any protest he had died when he noticed her trembling, so he gently wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back and used his Aura to help settle her down. Hinata was an Empath, using her Aura, she could sense emotions of people and Pokemon. Normally, she can turn this ability on or off, obviously, she wouldn't want to feel the spectrum of emotions coming from the random passerby. But by 'Broadcasting' happy and calming emotions with his Aura he found he could calm her down whenever she got hurt or scared. It helped that he found out she was a cuddler when they were kids.

A few minutes passed as she got ahold of herself and basked in Naruto's arms and Aura. His Aura felt like sunshine to her and he somehow always smelled like Nature. Trees and grass with a small bit of earth mixed in.

Slightly separating, she wiped the tears that threatened to fall before they could. "Thank you Naruto, for saving me, it's good to see you again," Hinata whispered, still leaning her side into his chest. "I was just settling down for lunch when that Gyarados attacked me, I had taken off my Pokemon Belt while I was setting up a small camp and couldn't defend myself in time." She said looking down, her voice full of shame at her own faults.

"Hey now, don't start that," Naruto said in a stern but quiet voice, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him. "It was no ones fault alright? Accidents happen to the best of us." Seeing her give a small nod, he glanced around the clearing. He saw some of her camping equipment set up in the open space but didn't see any other signs of people.

"Are you out here alone Hinata?" He asked gently still not moving away from her.

"Yes, I-" Finally noticing that she was still pressed-up against Naruto's chest, she squeaked and scrambled away from him. Blushing an impressive shade of red, she tried to get ahold of her heartbeat again.

"Hinata?!" Naruto said worried all over again. "Are you okay?!" He wasn't naive, he knew why she was blushing, but she had turned such a bright red so quickly that he was genuinely worried about her health.

"I-I'm fine, Naruto, just need to calm down," She said refusing to get any closer to him. Luckily for her, a distraction presented itself.

"Naruto!" Leaf shouted as she finally came running over.

* * *

 **Leaf's Perspective – A few Minutes Earlier**

When she heard the screams Leaf was about to suggest that they check it out. Only to notice she was standing alone on the path and there was a small dust cloud where Naruto was standing a few moments before. Not wanting to behind, she called to Bulbasaur and ran after him, following his trail she chased after him as fast as she could run. Bulbasaur surprisingly keeping up with her despite his build and fatigue. A few minutes later and the tree line broke, exposing a clearing.

The next few minutes had to be the most surprising moments of her life. She watched in awe as Naruto took control of the situation. She had arrived just in time to see the Gyarados preparing some kind of Dark move.

She winced when she heard Grace take a blow from all the way over here. Seeing Grace skip across the lake made her widen her eyes. Worried for the Naruto and his Pokemon she was about to enter the battle with Bulbasaur, but something made her hesitate.

Naruto's face was calm and impassive despite his Partner taking a nasty Payback **.** His eyes flickered with irritation when the Gyarados charged an attack, but Naruto had instantly responded with a powerful Aura Sphere. She had recognized that attack from their discussion on the way here. She watched as Naruto heroically jumped in front of the fallen girl and signaled to his Partner. Grace re-entered the battle with a powerful move, unfortunately, Grace was ill-equipped to handle a Gyarados nevermind an enraged one. She saw Grace take yet another powerful blow and flew off to the side of the clearing. Worried for the Pokemon yet again, she was about to head over until she saw Grace shake it off and climb to her feet. _'Jeez, Grace just won't give up will she?'_ Leaf thought with a small smile.

BOOM

A thunderclap echoed throughout the clearing.

Her head snapped back to the battle as she saw something that would shake her to the core. Naruto had fury in his eyes and his right arm buried in the Serpent's gut. The Gyarados would have been forced back from such a powerful blow had it not been for the Chains forcing it down.

Just when she thought she'd be surprised enough for one day Naruto lets loose with a ferocious barrage of punches and kicks upon the Gyarados' face, stomach, chin, and every other soft spot he could reach. Finishing his deadly combo with a vicious kick to the end, she was finally snapped out of her stupor.

Being honest with herself, watching Naruto dive in and save the day by viciously Man-Handling one of the scariest and most fearsome Pokemon in the world definitely made her weak in the knees. Even if she wasn't the Damsel in Distress, after seeing everything he had done in such a short amount of time, she was sure he would do the same for her in a heartbeat.

She saw Naruto quickly search for Grace and let out a sigh of relief as he watched her limp over to him.

Leaf looked back over at Naruto and had a soft smile as he comforted the frightened girl. She gave them a few minutes alone, idly noticing Grace was doing the same despite her injuries. Once she saw the girl blushing up a storm and scrambling away, Leaf decided to come to her rescue.

Jogging over to them, she got their attention.

* * *

 **Naruto's Perspective**

"Naruto!" Leaf shouted as she finally came running over.

"That was insane! Why would you do that?! _How_ did you do that?! Are you okay?! Is she okay!?" Leaf babbled out every question under the sun as they all came down from the adrenaline.

Amused by her antics he decided to cut her off before she started hyperventilating. "Leaf!" He said in a stern tone getting the attention of both girls. "We're both fine, so calm down," He said with a light laugh. Naruto shot back to his feet and looked back at his Lucario.

"Grace! Are you okay? That last attack was nasty, let me take a look at that." Naruto said running over to his Partner.

"I am fine Master, I should have been ready for that attack, but I didn't see it was already charged until it was too late. It will not happen again." She berated herself, already dedicating herself for more training.

"Still Grace, come and sit down so I can fix you up, there is no reason to keep that injury out like that." He said almost forcing her to sit down on a stump so he could grab his Pokemon First-Aid kit out of his bag. Before he even got halfway there, Hinata spoke up.

"Ah- I can help you with that Naruto! Let me go grab my Pokeballs." Hinata said as she got up and ran over to the small campsite she had set up. Grabbing her belt she put it back on and grabbed one of the ones attached. Tossing it out she called, "Chansey, assist me!" A bright pink Pokemon appeared and looked around for the reason she was summoned.

 _'Right she was training as a Nurse, I had nearly forgotten.'_ Naruto thought to himself as he examined the familiar Chansey.

"Chansey, I need your help we have an injured Pokemon here!" Hinata said gesturing to Grace.

Chansey saw the injury and went to help, Hinata following behind. They both placed their hands just above the injured arm, Hinata using her healing Aura to Identify the wound and guide Chansey's Heal Pulse directly to it. Grace sighed in relief as she felt the Healers numb the wound and watched in fascination as her cuts visibly closed before her eyes. A few minutes passed as the two healers worked together to heal the damage done by the Twister.

"Alright, we are done for the most part. She ended up with a fracture in her arm and a large number of cuts and bruises, we were able to heal the fracture cleanly but there will still be some minor cuts and bruises we can't quite get so I'd recommend you use a potion as well." Hinata said fully in Nurse-Mode.

"Thanks a million, Hinata! You're so awesome when it comes to healing!" Naruto said as he sprayed a potion over all the visible cuts on Grace.

Hinata visibly blushed at his sincere praise. Admittedly, Naruto blew injuries out of proportion when it came to other people but she couldn't help but love it when he praised her. Naruto always wants to help people and while he can do that with his fists, as he just proved, he greatly admires people that can do it without violence, like healers.

Giving Grace one more check over for injuries he put the potions back into his bag and laid it next to the stump.

"Okay," he said with after taking a deep breath, he looked up at the two girls that were now sitting down, resting, "I'm going to go have a chat with the Gyarados," a small bit a venom seeping into his voice. "Why don't you two take this chance to get introduced? I'm sure you ladies will hit it off immediately." Hearing the two girls start chatting, he left them to it.

* * *

He walked over to the Gyarados, noticing it was significantly larger than he had originally thought. _'I guess it must be pretty strong then. It did know Payback, which is pretty unusual for a Gyarados especially a wild one.'_ he mused

Right when he had gotten to its head he saw the left eye slowly open and heard a low groan. He braced his Aura, ready to knock it out if need be, but when it looked at him he saw... Acceptance? That took a bit of his anger away. He decided to just do this the quick way and placed his hands on the Gyarados' Crest. Pushing a small amount of his Aura into the Gyarados he stopped it just on the cusp of the Beast's own. Forming a temporary bond to the Gyarados so he could speak mentally.

 _"What are you doing to me, Human?"_ A surprisingly feminine voice growled at him.

 _"Forging a Connection with my Aura so I may speak to you,"_ He replied not at all intimidated. _"I wanted to ask you, why did you attack this young woman? From what I gathered she did not do anything to anger you. Why are you so agitated?_ " He asked. When he was fighting he could feel the genuine anger directed at Hinata, so much that the Gyarados had ignored him and Grace during the fight until she was forced to respond.

 _"Done nothing!? You Humans have destroyed the bay that I called home! You came in with your machines and scared off every Pokemon that had lived freely there! Then Destroyed the Reefs and attacked the Pokemon that tried to defend themselves!"_ She shouted into his mind. He could feel her hatred clearly now, someone had destroyed her home. The feeling of sorrow and anger she was letting slip into his mind nearly made him throw up. He steeled his resolve and made a decision.

 _"I am an Aura Guardian, any proof you need should be provided by the Aura technique I am using and the Lucario behind me, I would gladly search for your family but I need more information. Did you get a look at them? Most Human criminal organizations have a symbol to identify themselves, is there anything you can remember?"_ He asked once he felt her calm down a bit.

She felt the truth of his words through the bond. Although he did not permanently complete the bond, it still allowed emotions to pass through both ways. She felt him grieve at her story and felt his Aura flow through her, signifying that he was indeed an Aura Guardian. Considering that a Lucario would only choose to fight for someone they believed was Just. She decided to put faith in this Human.

 _"I saw two figures inside the strange machine, a female with long Magenta hair, and another with Lavender. They wore matching clothes with a large R on the chest. The R was on the machine as well, is this the symbol you were referring to?"_ She responded after a moments thought.

Naruto felt his anger truly start boiling now. Team Rocket **,** Kanto's largest criminal organization and one that believes that Pokemon are weapons to be used for their own selfish gain. One of the Order's largest long-term goals is to take them down. He nearly growled at the thought of these petty thieves so close to Oak's Ranch. Yes, he would deal with this immediately.

 _"_ _Team Rocket_ _"_ He spit out, _"Yeah, that's the symbol. This one belongs to_ _Team Rocket_ _. They are thieves that run widescale Pokemon Poaching all around Kanto, I'm sad to say that you are not the first to have their home destroyed by these criminals."_

 _"Why do you allow these criminals to run free, Guardian? Isn't it your job to stop them?"_ She said, anger slowly seeping back into her voice. It died quickly, however, once she felt his sorrow at her words. She also felt anger on the edge of her senses, by another presence, directed at her.

 _"I am truly sorry Gyarados but I do not have the strength to fight them, nor the resources to find them."_ He said sadly, _"There is hope, however, the Order of Aura Guardians is returning and we are slowly regaining the strength we had long ago. One of our goals is to deal with Poaching in the region, and we will slowly force Team Rocket to yield as we gain strength."_ He said with conviction.

He despised Team Rocket with all his heart, having several run-ins with them in the past. He understood the type of people that worked for the Organization. They all acted like they were Arceus' gift to man, doing something 'Noble' by stealing and hurting people. They never stooped to murder of any kind luckily, although that was likely just because of the kind of heat that would bring onto their efforts. Going from Poaching to Terrorism was a steep climb on the threat level.

 _"I have had a few encounters with Team Rocket myself, and I assure you I will stop any of their plots I come across. They have preyed on Kanto's Pokemon for far too long!"_

 _"I will find these two as quickly as I can, I promise you, just please do not attack any more innocent Travelers. All Rocket members wear the uniform, with the large R pasted all over it. It should be easy to spot them."_ He said preparing to cut the link.

 _"Wait,"_ She called out, _"If you are truly going to fight Team Rocket, please allow me to assist you."_ His eyes widened at that. He wasn't expecting to capture this Gyarados, just teach it a lesson and be on his way. But if he did he would be adding a powerhouse to his team. On the other hand training Gyarados' is supposed to be extremely difficult due to their temperamental attitude, although this one seems surprisingly intelligent. He would have to worry about water though. While they didn't need it to breathe, they did need it to move so that would be a large obstacle when attempting to use Gyarados. Then again, Naruto's specialty was Adaptation.

He gained a wicked smile as a stray thought crossed his mind. Yes, that would be brilliant. It'd take a while but it would totally be worth it, if only to see people's faces. He had already made his decision but he had to ensure some things first.

 _"Are you certain? It could take a very long time to find these thieves, and they seem like simple Grunts, even if we take down Team Rocket itself we may never face these specifically."_ He warned.

 _"It matters little. While I would like to see these attackers put to Justice, Team Rocket is the true mastermind, as long as we fight Team Rocket I will happily join you."_ She said already set in her decision.

 _"I plan on challenging the Gyms and competing in Pokemon battles, some of these I will need your help with. Are you sure you want to join me, knowing I will not be completely focused on Team Rocket?"_ He warned again, fully testing the Gyarados' commitment.

 _"I am well aware of that. Not everything can be accomplished in a day, and my desires shouldn't keep you from your own."_ She replied again, not at all shaken by his doubts.

 _"But-"_

 _"Master,"_ A third voice interfered, _"Stop trying to dissuade her, you are being too stubborn."_

 _"Who is this?"_ The Gyarados asked curiously, to her credit she wasn't very startled by a third voice suddenly speaking into her mind.

He blinked when he realized he was the one being difficult. _"Yes, you are right of course Grace."_ He said to his Partner,

 _"Gyarados we would love to have you on board!"_ He said happily this time. _"My Partner Grace is the one who joined us in the Bond. Speaking of which, since you are joining us would you like to make the Bond permanent? It will allow us to speak like this regardless of contact, so you can talk to me or Grace whenever you need."_

 _"Yes, I would like that."_

 _"You remember how it felt when I first connected to you? I just need you to reach out in the same way with your Aura and grasp mine. Think of it like reaching out and taking my hand, but mentally."_ Naruto said. He felt the Bond slowly sink into place as their Aura's connected. This allowed her to connect to Grace as well, using Naruto as a bridge.

 _"Nice! It's complete now,"_ He said taking his hand off of the crest. Looking at her, he remembered she was still covered in bruises, and bleeding slightly. _"Oh, Arceus! I'm sorry! I forgot you're still wounded, you sounded so normal when we were talking it slipped my mind."_ He said rapidly waving his hands as he apologized. _"My friend Hinata is a Nurse! She's uh - the one you tried to attack I'm afraid. She's really nice though! And she won't hurt you so will you please let her and her Chansey come and take a look at you? They are good people I promise!"_ Naruto said still speaking mentally.

 _"It should be fine, if you trust this Human then I will give them my faith as well."_ She said, idly appreciating the way he talked about Hinata and Chansey equally. _"Before you go, you never told me your name."_

 _"It's Naruto Uzumaki! And I totally shouted it at you when I was kicking your ass remember?"_ He said with a merry laugh. _"What about you? Do you have a name?"_

The female Gyarados just moaned after being reminded of that brutal combo, _"Thank you Naruto and no, I do not have a name."_ After seeing Naruto's mega-watt smile and expecting eyes, she caved and added, _"Although I would be happy if you gave me one"_

 _"Awesome! I'll make sure its perfect for you! I'm gonna go get Hinata while I think about it. Why don't you get familiar with Grace?"_ He said already running off.

* * *

 **With the Girls**

They had just gotten introduced with each other as they idly chatted and watched Naruo's face go through a myriad of emotions as he "talked" to the fallen Gyarados.

"Naruto seemed familiar with you. Are you friends?" Leaf asked, curious about the girl sitting next to her. She had seen what she guessed was Aura around Hinata's hands as Grace was being healed. Maybe they knew each other from the Order Naruto had told her about?

"Naruto and I have known each other since we were very young," Hinata started. "My father was killed when I was three and my mother had just given birth shortly before, so we became homeless quickly. We struggled to get by for a while before Mother was found by Master Kushina, Naruto's Mother, and brought in by the Order." Leaf widened her eyes at that, she lost a family member at such a young age? Damn.

"My Mother was a Herbalist but she had a strong Aura potential, once Master Kushina discovered this we were immediately taken in at Naruto's home and treated like family. I was mainly raised by my mother but I spent a lot of time with Master Kushina since my mother had to tend to my newborn sister and focus on her own Aura Training. Master Kushina had a child the same age as me so we were brought up as playmates. I wouldn't call us siblings because it has never really felt like that though, more like best friends." She said with a soft smile.

"When we turned ten we separated a bit, unfortunately. Naruto focused even more on his Aura training, while I joined the Adepts at the Order, studying Healing to become a Nurse. My Aura is naturally attuned as a Psychic-type so I was able to use Heal Pulse with relative ease. I did have to spend a large amount of time studying Pokemon anatomy though. Because of this, we grew apart a bit, only seeing each other briefly every few days. Naruto always stayed my closest friend though and whenever he got injured training, Kushina would take him to me to heal him."

Leaf couldn't help but smile at the girl's story, it seemed the two were very close. While she was a bit irritated this girl appeared out of nowhere and was already closer to Naruto that she was, it was hard to stay mad with a story like that.

After that they let the conversation bounce around to different topics, they noticed they actually did have quite a bit in common. They both loved sweets, flowers, reading, and Pokemon (And a certain whiskered blonde). Leaf also learned Hinata was also planning to become a member of the Elite Four. Although, Hinata brought up a good point when she said she didn't necessarily want to become a member of _Kanto's_ Elite Four, no point in tying herself to this region when she was so young right?

Hinata answered a few of Leaf's questions about Aura, while Leaf answered her's about how she met Naruto. Time passed quickly and the girls found themselves to be friends fast.

* * *

 **Back with Naruto**

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto said running over, "I need you to uh – I mean could yo-" Naruto couldn't quite find the way to ask her. I mean how does one ask a young lady to go over and heal the gigantic serpent that just tried to mercilessly kill you?

Luckily though, Hinata was well aware of Naruto's plight. She sighed and stood up dusting off her jeans, "You want me to go heal Gyarados right?" She said bluntly, laughing for a bit at Naruto's mind blown expression. "Naruto, sweetie, we have been friends for over a decade now. I'm well aware of your habit of making friends with everything you beat up." She said playfully. Leaf, however, was confused.

"Wait, what!? You're friends with that Gyarados now? How does that work?" Before Naruto could respond Hinata just let out another exasperated sigh.

"No-one has been able to figure that one out yet, considering Kushina has this strange ability as well. We all just assumed it to be an Uzumaki Thing. Naruto has been making friends with literally everything he has picked a fight with over the years, minus the criminals of course." She said with a small giggle. While she did like to tease him about it, she really admired that trait in Naruto. I mean, how many people can beat down an enraged Gyarados and come out talking with it like you'd been friends for years?

Naruto just blushed and rubbed the back of his head, not really sure what to say about that. While Hinata called over Chansey and fearlessly marched over to the Gyarados. Entering her Nurse-Mode she started scolding the Gyarados for being reckless while she scanned the wounds with her Aura. Seemingly forgetting Gyarados got those wounds by trying to attack Hinata in the first place.

Leaf just glanced between the Nurse and the blonde that beatdown a Gyarados with his bare hands. _'Are all Aura Guardians so weird?'_ She idly thought to herself. Oh well, beats being normal.

Naruto had finally decided on a name, leaving Leaf to her thoughts he ran back over to Gyarados, only to stop and sweatdrop at what he saw.

Gyarados was holding her mouth open, looking at Naruto with exasperation.

Hinata however, was sticking the top half of her body inside the Gyarados mouth healing the burn marks from Naruto's Aura Sphere.

 _"She's either far too trusting or insane,"_ He heard a soft voice in his head. Naruto could only dumbly nod at that, he was bit occupied staring at Hinata. Who happened to be sticking out her ass, that she was inadvertently thrusting out in his direction. As she wiggled it back and forth trying to reach further in, the only coherent thought he could form was _'When did Hinata start wearing such tight jeans?!'_

He hadn't quite noticed until now, but the ones she had on looked as if they were painted on her legs. Considering Hinata was one of the more well-endowed girls he knew, that combination made for quite a dangerous sight.

When growing up with Hinata she took to wearing baggy clothes and didn't really do much "Girly stuff" she took to stealing Naruto's hoodies and sweatpants often, and sometimes wore them more than he did. Although that may have something to do with being raised by the Tom-Boyish Kushina. She filled out before he noticed, and one eventful day at the Order's infirmary he got a good luck at her in her Nurse's Uniform. That was the day he truly noticed Hinata was a woman. A woman only one cup size short of his mother in fact.

Now seeing his closest friend's bubble butt waving at him, he had to tap into a bit of his training to restrain himself from attacking her right then and there. Didn't stop him from admiring the view though. He _was_ a hot-blooded young man after all.

"Alright I'm done," He heard Hinata call out, silently taking a moment to burn the image into his mind, he walked around to the side of Gyarados to save her the embarrassment.

"I think I've got a good name for you Gyarados," He said aloud mainly to let Hinata know he was there. Taking Gyarados's curious look as encouragement to continue. "How about Scylla?" He asked.

 _"Hmm, a Sea Monster?"_ She thought aloud in the bond.

"You know what it means?" He looked at her incredulously. How the hell did a Gyarados learn about Scylla and Charybdis?

 _"Of course you'd be surprised how many Human stories find their way into Pokemon Culture."_ She said casually.

Ignoring the potentially World-Changing news, he focused on the name. "So? Do you like it? Personally, Scylla is one of my favorite stories and, while I don't think of you as a monster, I do think it fits the public view of Gyarados."

 _"Very well, Scylla it is then,"_ She said, oddly happy at being named by her Trainer. She did have to agree with the public view though, most other Gyarados she had met were extremely aggressive and temperamental. Simple Barbarians.

"I think it is quite nice," Hinata said, joining them after finishing her checkup on the newly named Scylla.

"Are you feeling better now Scylla?" She asked patting the Gyarados on her crest.

Scylla let out a small mewl and nudged Hinata with her head. "Hey now, it's okay! It wasn't your fault, everyone is fine so no harm was done." She said having already forgiven Scylla the moment she saw Naruto walk over with a nervous smile on his face.

Smiling softly at the scene, Naruto clapped his hands "Well that was fun, but Leaf and I were looking for a place to sit down to eat lunch before this all happened. Would you mind if we joined you for lunch Hinata?" He laughed lightly when she turned to him with an excited twinkle in her eyes,

"Can I cook?"

* * *

Half an hour later and we find Trainers and pokemon all surrounding a picnic table covered in a vast feast. Dozens of different courses and types of food lay assorted in front of them. Hinata was bouncing in her seat happily, sending some suggestive imagery to Naruto, as she waited for them to taste their food. Naruto and Leaf, however, were skeptical.

"U-Uh N-Naruto?"

"Yeah, Leaf?"

"Where'd she get all of this food?"

"Hmmm, you know I can't remember"

It was true, one minute Naruto was laughing at Hinata's face as she thought about what she was going to cook. The next he was sitting at the table next to a trembling Leaf. The past thirty minutes were a blur as they vaguely remember flying up and down the forest grabbing anything edible in sight and then emptying the contents of Naruto's magic Backpack.

Now that he thought about it where'd she get this table? And these plates? For some reason every time he tried to force the memories back, he just let out a shiver and they slipped away again. _'Hmm, must be a woman thing'_ Naruto thought to himself as he finally shrugged off the feeling of demise lingering on him. It all _looked_ fine, but that was what made him so nervous. Well, food was food, right?

Hardening his Uzumaki resolve he grabbed his eating utensils and reached for the nearest full plate. Sensing the eyes of everyone on him he decided to take one for the team. If the Fearless Leader won't bite the bullet who will? Before he gave himself a moment to change his mind he took a quick mouthful of food.

His world exploded.

"I-I-It I-I-Is... DELICIOUS!" He nearly screamed with tears flowing down his cheeks.

 _'She's a saint! An Angel! No! A Goddess!'_ Naruto thought to himself as he dug into the greatest food he had ever tasted. Besides his Mother's Ramen, of course, nothing beats Mom's Ramen Recipe.

"Here Naruto I made some Ramen too,"

 _'Marry me.'_ He didn't dare say it out loud in fear of actually shutting down Hinata's mind. No one could really tell if that hungry look Naruto was sending was aimed at Hinata or the bowl she was holding.

Seeing that the food was safe the Pokemon all started slowly eating. Even Gyarados had a Snorlax-sized bowl. Seriously where the hell did she get that? The Pokemon seemed to all enjoy her food as well it seems, judging by the fact that some were actually eating faster than Naruto was inhaling that Ramen.

Leaf deemed the food safe, after watching Naruto react so positively she tried some herself.

"Wow, this _is_ good!" She said it genuinely surprised but Hinata didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I actually learned how to cook so I could make Naruto Ramen." She said with a happy laugh, still over the moon from her Naruto's compliments.

That surprised him he had a feeling Hinata had a crush on him the last few years but to hear she learned cooking for him? Damn, it must have been a lot longer than he thought. He should probably do something about that soon. Leaf seemed to show some subtle signs too, that was either going to be interesting or horribly depressing.

Jokes aside, it was time to address the Donphan in the room.

"Hey, Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Where'd you get a Sneasel?" The thing had been staring at him from across the table for quite a while now. Considering it is found in just about every region EXCEPT Kanto, it seemed quite odd for one to be here.

"One of the Knights found a small group of them at the base of Mt Silver, it seems they migrated to Kanto somehow. This little guy was injured by a group of Poachers and wandered away from the mountain. He captured it to put it in stasis and brought it to the Infirmary at HQ. I was the one tending to him while he recovered and he seemed to like me so the Knight just gave me his Ball and left." She explained

"Hmm, well that's interesting. It's nice that Kanto is getting more variety, but how the hell did Poachers get into Mt Silver? That's one of the most guarded places in Kanto, not to mention the crazy strong wild pokemon there." Naruto wondered aloud.

"No-one knows, unfortunately, but I heard they were doubling the security there."

Not very surprising. Mt Silver was one of the largest Pokemon Reserves in the world and with rumors flying around that some super-rare legendary lives there, it's a Poacher's Dream.

Another question flew into Naruto's head as they finished eating.

"You know Hinata, you didn't answer me earlier. What exactly are you doing here? Alone? I know you're strong enough to defend yourself and everything, especially on Route 1. But I thought you were still Training under Mom. She's not really the type to let you go out on your own like that while you're still studying."

"Oh well I finally passed my exams, you're looking at an Offical League Registered Pokemon Nurse." She said with a bit of pride in her voice. Naruto smiled widely at that, that had been her goal for the last 6 or 7 years at least and she worked just as hard as he had for his Aura. "Kushina decided that I was ready for my Partner as well! I was given a Female Togepi," She said just now noticing the bowl on her left was still untouched.

"Togepi?" She said looking around, not seeing her baby Pokemon anywhere she started to panic. Before she started to freak out, however, she remembered it was her Partner. They always knew each other's locations, reaching out with her Aura she located Togepi's... behind her? She spun around just in time to see an amused Grace walking out of the treeline, a small egg Pokemon riding on her head.

"There is no need to worry Mistress, I noticed the little one run off and decided to keep watch on her while you caught up," Grace said pulling Togepi off her head and handing her back to Hinata, Grace joined her master on his side of the table.

"Ahhh, thank you, Grace I can't believe how quickly she slipped out of my sight, I really hope that doesn't become a habit," Hinata said. Placing Togepi in her lap and the bowl in front of her, Hinata kept a close eye on Togepi while she ate.

"Well anyway, once I got Togepi, Kushina got an emergency report from the Pokecenter in Viridian city, it seems strange things have been happening on Route 1 recently. Trainers came bringing in wounded Pokemon in droves, the most serious injuries being Poison. Joy seemed to believe there was an aggressive Poison-type on the loose in the forests and she sent a request for us to check it out. Kushina thought this would be a good first mission for me since I just became a Nurse myself. And considering its Route 1, I decided to come alone. So here I am," Hinata explained.

 _'Hmm, a Poison-type going rampant well that's exciting at least,'_ Naruto thought. If it was strong maybe he'd catch it, Poison could add some good variety to his team. If Hinata didn't want it of course. Although, if it was a Bellsprout or Oddish, Leaf could make good use of it as well.

"Are you planning on catching it?" He decided to ask, no point in worrying about it if Hinata wants it.

"Not really, while I don't have any problems with Poison-types, it seems kind of redundant for a Nurse to carry a Poison-type on her team doesn't it?"

Naruto just nodded at that, "I'd be happy to help you with this mission if you wanted Hinata. You don't have a problem with that do you Leaf? The majority of Poison-types in this area are Grass/Poison types so you could potentially get a new member of your team from this, I don't think Nurse Joy would mind if you kept the Pokemon after we deal with it."

"Of course we can help! To be honest, I don't really want Hinata to leave yet, we just started getting to know each other," Leaf said with a small pout.

"Oh thank you, guys! I would love the help, I'm not very good at tracking and I didn't think about it before I left. Guess I came a little underprepared, huh?"

Naruto just laughed it off with a small wave, "No way! It's tradition to forget something on your first mission, that's why the Masters never suggest you bring anything. And don't worry about a thing Grace is a Badass and will have this Pokemon found in no time," He said dropping more praise on his Partner.

"Of course Master, I will start scanning the area immediately," Grace took a moment to calm her breathing, steadying herself as she prepared her tracking combination. The four appendages on the pack of her head flared to life and her body was covered in a silver sheen. She disappeared right before their eyes, vanishing into the tree line before they could blink.

"Well, while she's doing that why don't we kill some time?" Naruto suggested with a grin.

Both girls just looked at him curiously about what he had planned. Leaf asked, "How do you want to do that?"

Naruto's grin turned absolutely savage. _'Oh no,'_ Hinata thought already knowing that look, the one he got when he had a target he wanted to fight.

"Hey Hinata," Naruto started.

 _'Shit.'_

"Has you're Togepi had any battle experience yet?" Naruto innocently asked.

Now that confused her, he couldn't really want to fight a baby _Fairy-_ type, could he? "No I haven't found a good battle partner for her yet, she is still young so I didn't want to push her too far."

"Well, Leaf just got her Bulbasaur a few hours ago and hasn't gotten any battles with it either. I figured you two could have a battle to get them both started right?" Naruto said still grinning like a loon.

 _'Well that seems innocent enough, why does he still have that smile though?'_ Little did Hinata know, she wasn't the Target.

Hinata agreed easily enough after seeing Leaf and Bulbasaur getting pumped up. And before you know it they are standing in the middle of the clearing directly opposite each other.

Naruto decided to help Leaf through this if she needed it, so he was standing beside her.

He was slightly worried about Leaf's first battle being against Hinata but decided to trust the Nurse enough to hold back in this. Togepi wasn't really a big threat at such a young age, the only attack it can really learn being Metronome. It had the potential to be devastating, but it all boiled down to luck.

Metronome was one of the most unreliable moves a Pokemon could learn. Usually, it was only used by young Fairy-types that didn't have access to any other attacks. Metronome works by taking a random move from almost any Pokemon move there is. It could be anything from a simple growl, to a Draco Meteor. It was always quite amusing to watch a small fairy-type using some of the most powerful Pokemon moves, not to mention extremely surprising to their opponents. The sheer amount of unpredictability made it one of Naruto's favorite moves, even if none of his Pokemon could learn it.

While the potential of the move _is_ great, most Pokemon Trainers find it to be a rather bad choice in battle. Partly due to a large amount of Status Moves, the odds of getting an attack that was both powerful _and_ effective against your opponent was extremely low. Not to mention the problem that arises when a baby Pokemon uses an ability far above their capabilities, while a baby using Flamethrower would still be more powerful than using Ember, the baby simply couldn't use the ability's full power.

Togepi firing a Hyper Beam was pretty much nothing compared to a full grown Pokemon, she could fire a hundred in a row and still do less damage than Scylla's.

Regardless, the match between Bulbasaur and Togepi will be amusing to watch at least. It was always cute watching baby Pokemon fight.

Although Naruto was much more excited to see how Leaf would react to Hinata's little personality quirk.

 _'That promises to be entertaining at least,'_ Naruto thought to himself as he watched Leaf give a small speech to pump up her Bulbasaur.

* * *

 **Leaf's Perspective**

This was it.

Her first battle.

While she had imagined it to be against something a lot more fearsome than a baby Togepi, it was probably for the best.

She didn't want her precious Bulbasaur to get hurt because she was new to this after all.

"Alright, Bulbasaur this is going to be our first battle together! Let's make sure we do our best and start off our Journey with a victory!" Leaf said to the already excited Bulbasaur.

"Our first opponent is going to be a Togepi, she is young but don't let that fool you. Hinata is a great Trainer from what I've seen and I'm sure she already has some tricks prepared for us. This is going to be my first battle as a Trainer, but I'm sure if we work together we can do this!" Leaf said dramatically pumping her fist into the air.

"Bulba!" He agreed, bouncing on the spot, ready to get to the action.

"But before that," Naruto cut in amused, "you should probably scan Togepi with your Pokedex. Knowing your opponent is half the battle you know."

Leaf pouted a bit at Naruto taking the wind out of her sails. She was just getting into it! But she saw the logic in his advice so decided to listen to her friend.

Pulling out her dark green Pokedex she pointed it at the Togepi who was patiently waiting on the side of the field.

 **Togepi the Spike Ball Pokemon**

 **As its energy, Togepi uses the positive emotions of compassion and pleasure exuded by people and Pokémon. This Pokémon stores up feelings of happiness inside its shell, then shares them with others. A proverb claims that happiness will come to anyone who can make a sleeping Togepi stand up.**

"Well that sounds pleasant," Leaf said smiling at the cute Pokemon. "But it didn't give me any information besides some background. Wasn't the Pokedex supposed to tell me its Type and Move-set?"

Naruto just laughed "Nah, it only does that with Pokemon registered to you, the Pokeballs given to you by Professor Oak automatically do that to any Pokemon you catch. If the Pokedex gave information about Move-sets and Typing, Trainers with a Pokedex would have a huge advantage over people in tournaments. You can find out its type by searching for it in the Index, but I'll spare you the trouble,"

Leaf was a bit confused by that, didn't every Trainer get a Pokedex? How did that give her an advantage? She listened in as he continued.

"Togepi is a Fairy-type, it was recently discovered so you probably haven't heard about them yet. They are strong against dark and fighting types, but mainly against Dragon types. They are completely immune to any Dragon-type Ability making them even more feared than Ice-types to Dragon Tamers."

 _'What the hell?!'_ Leaf's eyes bugged out, _'That little guy is some kind of Dragon Slayer?'_ Man, Pokemon really can be deceiving.

"They are weak against Poison and Steel, and their abilities usually focus around Stat Changing. They raise their own attack and defense, while lowering their enemies', most of their moves have Stat Changes mixed in with them, even the attacks." Naruto continued his little lecture, "Togepi however, doesn't learn many Fairy-Type abilities so you don't have to worry too much about that. And since you don't seem to know much about Togepi, I'll let you know a bit about her. Togepi usually only has Metronome as an attacking move until it Evolves. I wouldn't underestimate it though, Metronome is all it needs to win a fight," He finished ominously.

Leaf was beginning to doubt herself now. Maybe the Togepi wouldn't be an easy win after all. She was curious about Metronome though, Naruto seemed to get a knowing smirk on his face when he talked about it.

"So what does Metronome do exactly?" Leaf questioned.

"Nope! Not telling! It's your first battle and you already went in unprepared, it's up to you to dig yourself out of this hole you made now." Naruto laughed.

 _'Gee, that gives me a whole lot of confidence thanks,'_ Leaf just sweatdropped at Naruto's change from the helpful mentor to the joking prankster, content to watch with a smile as she crashed and burned.

"Alright, this is going to be a one-on-one battle. Since this is just a mock-battle, victory will be decided whenever one Pokemon Faints or I interfere." Naruto said as he deemed himself the referee. "Are both Trainers ready?" Seeing them both nod he started the match and ran back over to Leaf's side.

"Togepi, use Charm," an unusually stern voice called out before Leaf could make a move.

Togepi eyes grew large and started to water up, barely keeping the tears at bay.

Bulbasaur's energy for his first battle immediately disappeared. He shifted nervously, unsure of what to do with the baby Pokemon now that it was about to cry.

He didn't have to wait long before another command was given.

"Metronome, Togepi," Hinata's frigid tone shocked both Pokemon and Trainer, and they were unable to react before Bulbasaur was crashed into by a surprise Quick Attack.

Leaf felt bad for letting Bulbasaur get hit so easily, but she took a moment to examine her opponent. What she saw shocked her to the core.

Gone was the happy young Nurse she had become friends with so quickly, in its place was a cold taskmaster. Her stance had changed drastically, her normal cheerful posture was now straightened and confident. Her once gentle eyes, were now impassive and distant as she carefully watched her opponent.

'What just happened? She's a completely different person!' Leaf was bewildered by this sudden change in Hinata, she assumed the kind nature of her friend would make it difficult for Hinata to battle. Instead, she seemed to change her personality entirely.

And wasn't that Quick Attack? She heard Hinata call Metronome, and Naruto said Togepi couldn't learn any other attacks yet so what happened?

Leaf shook her head and cleared her thoughts. She'd worry about that later, for now, she needs to focus on the battle.

"Bulbasaur use Vine Whip!" She called, snapping Bulbasaur out of his daze. Two Vines burst out and slammed into the Togepi, who was still to close to dodge, and sent her reeling back to Hinata's side of the field.

"Metronome, again Togepi," Hinata called out, undeterred by the Grass Pokemon's attack.

Leaf watched closely this time, as Togepi prepared her attack. She saw the Baby Pokemon wave its arms back and forth as they started to glow. Then without warning, Togepi stopped and fired a torrent of small fireballs from its mouth. An Ember attack.

"Dodge Bulbasaur!" Leaf cried, she wasn't sure what just happened but fire was bad news for any Grass-type.

Ready for the attack this time, Bulbasaur jumped to the left quickly. A small number of stray fireballs hit their mark, peppering his side and bulb. Flinching at the stinging sensation the fire move, Bulbasaur regained his footing and waiting for his Trainer's command.

"Use Sleep Powder!" Leaf commanded, she had already got a basic combination prepared for her starting battles and wanted to give it a try.

Suddenly, the bulb of the Grass Pokemon shot out a thick cloud of light blue powder, covering the Battlezone entirely. Her opponent's Pokemon had no choice but to be covered in it, the powder already doing its work. Togepi stumbled for a bit, before falling down on her egg-shell and sleeping.

Leaf was happy her Status Move worked and started her combo. "Use Leech Seed while Togepi is immobile,"

Leaf's Pokemon shot a pair of small seeds from its bulb to the ground around the Togepi's body. Small, thin, vines emerged from the ground and wrapped around the shell of the Togepi and started leeching life back to the Bulbasaur.

Leaf smiled, it was working good so far, "Now! Use Vine Whip before it wakes up!" Leaf declared the next step.

Bulbasaur kept his momentum and lashed out with his signature move, slender vines shooting out from the sides of his bulb and whipping the defenseless Togepi across the face.

Hinata, meanwhile, didn't look bothered by the strategy and called out to her still sleeping Pokemon. "Togepi wakeup and use Metronome," She commanded, and sure enough, hearing the voice of her Partner the Togepi's eyes shot open and she started her Metronome dance once more.

 _'Damn really? That Sleep Powder wore off instantly!'_ Leaf inwardly groaned, she was planning on getting more damage in with another Vine Whip before the Togepi woke up. Now she had to worry about whatever Metronome did, yet again.

Finishing her small dance Togepi prepared her attack, and launched a battle cry.

"To-ge-Piiii!" The small Pokemon cried as it opened its mouth and launched a powerful gale of ice-cold wind and snowballs. The attack, surprisingly large for such a small pokemon, tore across the field and slammed into the shell-shocked Bulbasaur. A Blizzard attack combined with the type advantage did massive damage to the Bulbasaur.

"What the hell?!" Naruto and Leaf yelled in unison. Naruto couldn't believe Hinata had gotten three attacks off in a row, two of which were super-effective.

Leaf's heart sunk at the unknown Ice attack, striking her Bulbasaur hard. She still couldn't figure out how Metronome worked and it was frustrating to fight against. She had no idea how this little pokemon had such a variety of strong attack moves. Leaf could hardly do anything without Hinata responding even stronger. But the realization that she just likely lost her first battle, crushed her.

Everyone watched as the snowstorm passed, and revealed Bulbasaur sprawled out on the ground with swirls in his eyes.

She fell to her knees beside her Pokemon, tears forming in her eyes as she saw the burns and frozen patches of skin. She gently pulled it into her lap and laid her had on his head. "I'm sorry Bulbasaur," She whispered knowing he was unconscious. She had expected her first battle to be much more exciting than this, but she was met with an unfamiliar Pokemon and unfamiliar moves. Hinata had remained in control the entire time and defeated her soundly.

 _'And now Bulbasaur is the one paying for it,'_ She thought bitterly, upset at herself for letting her starter down.

* * *

 **Back with Naruto**

Naruto was pleased with the outcome of the battle, he knew Hinata was intentionally avoiding using Status Moves. Baby Togepi's usually had Sweet Kiss and/or Yawn, but she didn't use either. Status Moves like that would just end the battle before Leaf even got a chance to move. There were ways to fight against them of course, but Leaf was a Rookie and didn't have much teamwork with her Bulbasaur yet.

Still, he was happy that she did well. Honestly, using the small set of moves she had to create a strategy like that, even if it was a basic one, was impressive. It showed more thought than most Rookie's had. Hell, it showed a lot more thought than he had in his first battle.

He was fully expecting her to win when she had landed that leech seed. It was just a bit of bad luck that caused her sudden loss. Even if Togepi was young, a Blizzard attack on a Grass/Poison still did enough to secure the victory. As the first battle for both Pokemon, they fought well.

Naruto broke himself out of his thoughts as he saw Leaf slink down beside her Bulbasaur. It was always rough seeing your Pokemon go down, especially the first time. Bulbasaur fought well, if you look past the initial surprise, despite an unknown opponent. Naruto hated seeing Leaf so distraught so he waved over Chansey for Bulbasaur and planned to cheer her up himself.

Leaf allowed the Chansey to silently pick up the Bulbasaur and bring him over to Hinata, who was already tending to Togepi. She sat there going over the battle again in her mind distressing over the simple mistakes she made. She gave Togepi a free hit as soon as the battle started and kept slipping up all the way through. While she was lost in her minor pity-party, she didn't notice Naruto sneak up behind her.

Sitting down beside her, Naruto grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap.

"Eeep!" Leaf let out a cute noise and she was forcefully plopped down in her friend's lap. Once she realized that her back was resting against his broad chest and she felt strong arms wrapping around her waist, she instantly turned beet red. "N-N-Naruto! W-W-What are you d-doing?!" She exclaimed squirming in his lap.

Naruto just ignored her question and rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling his face into her hair. "Hmmm? You say something?" He said as he rubbed his whiskers against her cheek.

"N-Naruto S-Stop it" Leaf weakly protested, her voice not carrying any real strength behind it. She melted into his arms slowly when she heard a small purring coming from his throat.

"Hmm?" He asked again rubbing small circles on her stomach with one of his hands, "You want me to stop? Are you sure?" He drawled out in a lazy voice, idly appreciating how her body felt pressed-up to his and the warmth her small frame provided.

 _'She smells like Strawberries,'_ He mused, enjoying the scent of her hair. He was originally planning to tease her lightly just to snap her out of her depression, but now that he started he found himself not wanting to stop. _'I'm sure it'll be fine if we just stay here for a bit.'_ He felt her slowly ease into his embrace and they both snuggled closer together.

"Nooo," She shivered at the feeling of his hands stroking her stomach, and his breath against her neck, and shook a bit in his lap. She felt something hard poking her butt and blushed when she thought about what it was. Normally she would have yelled at him for being a pervert but for some reason, she felt happy she forced such a reaction out of him. She had only known him for a few hours and she was already falling hard for him.

"You did well you know?" Naruto whispered as he leaned around to look at her face, noticing she had her eyes closed as she leaned into his shoulder.

"But I lost," She replied immediately an once of sadness still in her voice. "If I had taken it seriously from the start, Bulbasaur wouldn't have gotten so hurt."

"It's good you made such a simple mistake now, rather than having it happen in a Gym battle or something important. Just make sure it never happens again, and next time Bulbasaur will win," He advised, and he wasn't just saying that. If they came across any Trainers wanting to battle on Route 1 Leaf would probably destroy them with Bulbasaur.

Leaf still wasn't convinced though, "But I still let Bulbasaur get hit by that Ice attack! If I had just-"

Naruto gave a gentle squeeze to shut her up, "How do you think my first battle went?" He asked suddenly,

"I don't know," She said quietly, she had assumed Grace usually won her battles considering how strong she looked.

Naruto hummed a bit as he recalled his first attempt at being a Trainer. "Well, I was ten years old and had just received my Partner Grace as a Riolu, the pre-evolved version of Lucario. I trained with her for about a week getting to know her and studying her moves when my Mom approached me about battling. One of the Knights had recently caught a Pidgey and Mom asked them to battle me so I could get some experience." He started. Naturally, the Knight agreed because you simply don't refuse Kushina Uzumaki when she asks for something.

"I was a bit arrogant at the time, to be honest, I thought since I finally had my own Riolu, that I was going to be unstoppable. The battle sobered me up quickly though, the Pidgey only used pecks and quick attacks defeated me flawlessly. My Mother had set it up to try and get me to think about my battles, so she intentionally asked the Knight to only use Contact Moves. I didn't notice at the time, I was too frustrated trying to hit the flying Pokemon with Aura Spheres and Grace's own quick attack. Mom had done it to get me to see that if I just stopped and thought about it, one quick Endure and Counter would shift the entire battle in my favor. I lost though, and spent the next few weeks practicing with Grace before I went back to my Aura Training." He finished with a self-deprecating smile.

"I wasn't kidding when I said you did good Leaf. You used strategy to trap your opponent and worked well with your starter despite the short amount of contact you have had with it. If you expand your Bulbasaur's Move-Set and practice that strategy you showed today you'll go far I assure you of that." He said with another soft hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

Leaf flushed once more but thought about what he said. She hadn't thought about other people starting with the same problems as her before, and she realized now that even the strongest Trainers like Agatha had to start somewhere.

She loved that Naruto was treating her so sweetly, despite her foul mood and was pleased with the physical contact she was sharing with him. _'I think I like where this is leading,'_ She thought with a soft smile. She'd think more on that later, right now she was just going to enjoy her current situation. "Thank you Naruto," She whispered as she sunk down in his lap and closed her eyes again.

They spent the next few minutes in silence, basking in each other's presence. Listening to the sounds of the Pidgey chirping in the trees, and the wind blowing through the clearing. Feeling Leaf's breathing steady out, he looked down to see her sleeping face. Smiling slightly at her cute expression, he looked for Hinata who he hadn't seen in a while.

Naruto glanced around and noticed she was just now finishing up with Bulbasaur. Their eyes met and he expected to see a lot of things, anger, irritation, even jealousy, but instead, she looked oddly satisfied with his predicament.

Slipping out of his Trenchcoat he laid it on the ground behind him and shifted out from under Leaf. Laying her on his coat, he stopped to take another look at her sleeping face. As soon as he let go of her she curled into his coat in an adorable way. Getting a brilliant idea, he pulled his Dex out of his pocket and took a picture. _'Yep, keeping that one forever,'_ He thought, taking a moment to save it. Standing up, he walked over to where Hinata was now resting.

"Hey," Naruto said slightly awkwardly as he sat down beside her. He wasn't sure what was going through Hinata's mind right now, but he had a feeling she knew about his _situation_.

"Hey," She said back, deciding to mess with him a bit. "So if she gets to fall asleep in your arms, while you whisper in her ear, for losing. What do I get for winning?" She asked in a sultry, teasing tone.

Despite knowing she was teasing he found himself wanting to call her bluff. Letting his Uzumaki impulses take over, he leaned over and cupped her chin. Bringing her head up to look at him, he bent down and planted a kiss on her lips.

 _'Whaaaaaaat?'_ Hinata inwardly screamed, blood rapidly flooding to her face as her heart fluttered and started pounding. She had expected him to just tease back off or something. Maybe if she was lucky to get a hug or peck on the cheek, like he gave Leaf. She _never_ expected him to just kiss her so suddenly. She had been teasing him like this for the last few years, ever since Kushina had informed her of his _problem._ But those times he just laughed it off or changed the subject, when did he become this forward?

Naruto had felt Hinata tense up when he kissed her, thinking he had gone too far he was going to pull back, but then she started kissing back with even more passion. Getting a bit braver he slipped his arm around the small of her back and pressed her chest flush against his. Nibbling on her bottom lip, he reached up at started stroking her dark blue hair. When he heard her moan he turn the chance and slipped his tongue into her mouth, happy that she wasn't resisting.

Enjoying her natural taste and smell of cinnamon, he dominated her mouth with his own. Just when things were heating up, however, he felt Grace's Aura shock him as it fluctuated in the Bond.

Hinata whimpered when he broke the kiss, "N-Naruto what's wrong?" She said seeing the irritation on his face. She thought she had done something bad until she noticed the glazed look in his eyes. A few minutes later his head snapped back and looked at her.

"Grace found the Poison-type," He started his voice laced with anger, "And we've got a problem."

* * *

 **Author's Notes (Minor Spoilers/Ideas)**

And there we go, Chapter 2 down. We got some brief action and my first attempts at some sexy scenes. It was a bit longer than I intended, but who's complaining?

This is my first fanfiction so I'm eager to know how you guys feel about a couple of things underlined below. If you plan on reviewing _please_ be detailed. The more reasons you give about something, the higher chance I'll listen to you. Comments like "no misty ples" Don't tell me anything.

It's a lot of text, sorry about that I got a bit carried away. Just give me your best ideas and I'll sort everything out, you don't have to answer every question.

Harem

Should I add Lemons? I tried my hand at some teasing and Romance so tell me what you thought.

I'm going to be sort of diving straight into the relationships. Mainly because I see a ton of 'harem fics' that don't last long enough to get to the harem part and I know how frustrating that is. I plan on keeping the Harem small for now, just Hinata and Leaf unless a _great_ reason to add someone pops up. (Speaking of which, are there any sexy ladies I'm missing in the Kanto region? People you don't see often like Melanie. Cynthia will probably end up in here too but not until he's in Sinnoh.)

No Misty. I had too many reasons not to put her in, and not enough reasons going for her. And to be honest, I never like the hot-headed female arch-type, it _can_ be good but most of the time they are just abrasive, constantly yelling and bashing the main Hero. Misty/Nami/Sakura/

People were worried about me adding a ton of Naruto girls like Sakura and Ino, that's **_not_ **going to be happening. Hanabi and Hitomi, (Hinata's mother) are my last crossover picks and I don't plan on adding these two to the Harem. I **_might_ **add minor characters for some of the Order or minor story arc's just so I don't have to make OC's (Things like Sasuke showing up in the start of a Pokemon Tournament, or Asuma being an Aura Guardian) but if that happens I will probably only use them for one or two chapters.

Kushina Uzumaki

I was surprised to see people request Kushina in the Harem, I'm all for it personally, and it would work well with what I have planned for the Harem. Let me know what you think, I know some people hate Uzumakicest. (Kushina is my favorite character from Naruto)

Pokemon Battles

I'm not too happy with the way these brief battles went, they will be longer in the future these were intended to be short, but I'll work on it.

Each main character is going to have a specific style, Leaf will be Strategic, Hinata Aggressive, and Naruto I'm going to have the most fun with.

Hinata

She's in the Harem, I got some fun ideas with her so I already locked her in. For those of you who don't like Hinata, please give her a few chapters before you complain. If it's the shy, stuttering Hinata, from Canon Naruto, you dislike, you **won't** find her here (She still is going to be kind). While she was blushing at first it was because she genuinely didn't expect to find Naruto there. (She's also going to be a bit bolder and fun next chapter)

I'm also going to be giving her a Split Personality, I thought this was more a fun way to deal with her meekness to violence.

As for why she's okay with him getting physical with Leaf, that will also have to wait till next chapter.

For Pokemon, her team isn't set in stone yet. Any cool ideas for some of her team members? Please tell me why in the reviews. I'm tempted to give her something awesome just for the contrast, like a Salamance. I like the idea of a gentle girl taking full control of powerful Pokemon.

I plan on putting her in the League too (She IS going to be aiming for Elite Four) but with three people per Gym, I'm not quite sure how to pull that off. I'm thinking only showing the most interesting battle for each Gym (Like showing Leaf for Pewter city since Grace would probably steam-roll it), or maybe making my own considering there are more than 8 Gyms in every region. (Gary had 10 badges in Canon)

Leaf

Her personality hasn't been totally fleshed out yet, I wanted her to feel slightly nervous because she is starting her Journey.

Her team is also up for debate, unfortunately, most of the Grass Pokemon in Kanto are Grass/Poison. So I'll have to find some way around that. (I was planning on doing some stuff with trading, but if you have anything cooler you can think of let me know. Maybe the Safari Zone got imported Pokemon?)

Her battle team is going to be full Grass Pokemon, but I may give her one or two non-Grass just for content.

Naruto

Naruto was a bit weird for me to write, not sure how well I pulled it off, I tried to make him cheerful, energetic, and sometimes a bit silly like his Canon. But I also wanted to show his serious side, this Naruto is smart, experienced, and uses his head. It felt a bit all over the place so I hope I did well.

Naruto's team is a bit more set in stone, I would still like ideas as you could come up with some awesome stuff, but his team is going to be relatively small probably 12 max maybe more when he travels to new regions. He won't 'Catch them all' because that makes him impersonal with his pokemon, that's both boring to write and conflicting with his character. His team is also going to be the only one I'm naming if you suggest a Pokemon throw in a name too it saves me time (Preferably a meaningful one) I don't want too much type overlap in his team (For example he won't be catching a Mankey because Grace is Fighting-type)

Naruto's team **can** speak to him but I plan on keeping them quiet most of the time, if they joined in every conversation I would spend far too long typing it all out especially since other people can't hear them.

Naruto's team members are all going to have their own fighting styles that I'm going to try and make as unique as possible. Each will have a meaningful Name that ties in with their combat style.

Scylla - Scylla is going to be intelligent, I enjoy the contrast it provides for her. Her name will tie in with her combat style, if you know about Scylla in mythology it shouldn't be hard to guess and even if you don't, I gave you enough clues.

Grace - Will be Loyal and Respectful, like a Knight. Her fighting style will be fun, and I plan on involving some unique abilities with Aura Manipulation.

(1) I said he's had Grace for six years now, normally you'd think Grace would be crazy powerful by now right? Well, I'm gonna say she's only about level 30-40 just for the sake of fair progression. If Naruto started with a level 80, while that would be amusing watching him walk over everything, it would make me never want to use Grace in fights as she would just sweep teams left and right. If you want an "Immersive" Answer. Young Naruto was too absorbed in his own physical and Aura training to train with Grace properly, and he was saving that for his Journey. Grace watched over his training and focused on Aura Manipulation instead so while she is "Weak" she will do things with Aura that no other Pokemon can like _talk_ (Meowth is a cheater he doesn't count) Grace **will** kick ass soon don't worry.


	3. A Shocking Conclusion!

Chapter Three: A Shocking Conclusion!

Naruto was moving fast through the trees as he headed toward his Partner's Aura. Immediately after hearing the situation from Grace, he told Hinata to pack up camp as he woke up Leaf. Recalling their Pokemon the two ladies followed behind as they moved quickly.

Focusing on the Aura Signature, he could tell his Partner wasn't in any danger but clearly disturbed about something. He increased his pace, mindful not to leave the girls behind, and navigated his way through the forest.

Finally arriving into a small open area, the group saw Grace in a fighting stance looking at a medium sized Pokemon, a Nidorina.

They noticed it was light-blue with dark spots on its back and hind legs. Its back was covered in small poison barbs, and it had small fangs sticking out of its mouth. They each cringed at the sight of its body. It was covered in cuts and bruises, and looked to be on its last legs. Its eyes were red and bloodshot, and it was twitching in pain.

The Poison-type must have felt threatened because it released a small cry and fired a Poison Sting at Grace. A small volley of purple needles flew from Nidorina's mouth.

Unaffected by the attack, Grace let the needles bounce off of her body harmlessly. Her Steel-Type immunity preventing any damage.

Seeing her attack fail, the Nidorina let out another small cry before her legs gave out, and she collapsed.

Naruto, ignoring the danger, immediately rushed forward to check on it. "What happened here, Grace?" He asked as he searched the Nidorina for injuries.

Hinata and Leaf quickly made their way to his side, Hinata kneeling down and using her Aura to scan the injuries. Leaf quietly watched, frowning at the state of the Pokemon.

"I had found the Nidorina slamming herself into trees and rocks, so I tried to stop her. Anytime I got close however, she attacked and wouldn't listen to me." Grace explained as she scanned the area with her Aura Sight, "I believe she was protecting something, I noticed she hadn't moved from where she was, despite my presence."

"Naruto look at this," Hinata said kneeling by the head of the fallen Pokemon.

Moving over to where she was, he saw a small metal band wrapped tightly around the neck of the Poison-type. Already guessing its purpose, he reached out to touch it, only to be zapped by a bright flash of electricity.

A shock collar, and, judging by the red R he could see painted onto the sides, it was likely the same duo that attacked Gyarados' nest.

These Grunts were quickly becoming a serious nuisance. If he ever saw these fools, he'd make sure they sat in a cell for a long time.

Quickly covering his hands in Aura he searched the collar for a release. Finding none, Naruto went switched tactics, slipping his hands around the inside of the collar he pulled, using his Aura to negate any further damage dealt to the wounded Pokemon. Feeling the collar snap, he separated from the Nidorina and studied it.

 _'What was the point of putting a shock collar on a wild Pokemon?'_ Naruto thought to himself it didn't seem to serve any purpose besides simply inflicting pain. _'Were they trying to control it? Why not just catch it?'_ Naruto shook his thoughts away, no sense trying to understand criminals.

"Is she going to be okay?" Leaf asked Hinata who was scanning the Pokemon.

"This is worse than I thought," Hinata said to herself as she noticed the extent of the damage, "Naruto we need to get this Nidorina to a Pokemon Center right away, her body is only covered with minor scratches and bruises, but she has internal injuries that I can't treat without proper equipment. They aren't fatal, but they will be if we let them linger like this."

"How awful, who would do this?" Leaf was horrified people would do this to Pokemon.

"Team Rocket again," Naruto paused to think for a moment. They could carry her, but they run the risk of doing further damage to the injuries on the Nidorina. The closest Pokemon Center would be in Viridian, so it'd be a long run. Carrying would be awkward with the Pokemon's Poison Barbs still exposed, Nidorinas can retract them but this one is unconscious so that was out.

The best choice would be to simply catch her, but he didn't really like to catch Pokemon without thought. They were his friends, his family, he didn't want to carelessly add any random Pokemon to his Bond.

After a bit of internal conflict, he made his decision. Taking a free ball from his belt he tapped it to the side of the Nidorina, sucking her inside with a small 'ding' indicating a successful capture. Hopefully, she would make a good addition to his team. He could release her later if needed, but that would just feel wrong.

"Well, that settles that for the time being, the Stasis will keep her injuries from getting any worse." Naruto said standing up, "You said she was protecting something Grace? Did you notice anything in the area?"

"I felt more Pokemon in a cave, a bit further in the forest. We should investigate," Grace stated not waiting for an answer before walking past the group, into the trees the Nidorina was guarding.

They quickly followed after, and shortly came up to a small cave. It wasn't very deep, just enough to fit a few people and Pokemon comfortably.

Inside, laid curled up together, were a small group of Pokemon. They saw a few Ekans, a pair of Nidorans, and even a Venonat. The Pokemon were surprisingly docile, only looking up at the group of humans curiously.

Locked around the necks of each Pokemon, was a small collar. Luckily, these collars seemed to be deactivated already, and all Naruto had to do was pull them off. Quickly moving between each one, he tore off each collar and watched amused as each Pokemon stretched themselves out, happy to be free of the restraint.

Naruto was already feeling pissed, but now he was even more confused. They attacked a nest of water Pokemon, and only managed to destroy it in the process, attached a bunch of shock collars to an assortment of Poison-types, but only activated one, and seemingly left them alone afterward.

 _'What the hell kind of criminals are these guys?'_ Naruto thought to himself, they were either thieves going about it in the worst possible ways, or maybe just assholes that got their kicks torturing defenseless Pokemon. Either way, he needed to deal with this fast, before they got any closer to the Old Man's Ranch.

 _'I should probably warn him ahead of time though, just in case,'_ He said making a mental note to get Oak's number for his X-Transceiver, the next time he was in town.

"What do you think we should do with these Pokemon, Naruto?" Leaf asked, already bending down to play with the small ones.

Naruto thought about it for a moment, "I don't think we should do anything with them." Catching all of them would do little good as we'd have to find some place for them. They could try to find them all Trainers, but that would just needlessly separate them. "For whatever reason, these guys were left alone by the Rocket members. Maybe they just had no more use for them."

"So they were abandoned by their Trainers? That's so sad," Leaf said holding one of the Nidorans in her lap and rubbing its head.

"Is it?" Hinata asked, "While I agree that Pokemon shouldn't be left alone like that. Their Trainers were criminals, and clearly, cruel enough to place collars on them, is it such a bad thing they are free now?"

"I guess that makes sense."

Naruto checked his watch, he wanted to make it to Viridian soon, "We should get moving, I think these guys will be better off on their own here. Taking them away from their homes will just do more harm than good,"

They all were ready to get going and left the cave behind. Finding their way back on the path, Leaf re-released her Bulbasaur letting him walk beside her as they traveled.

Hinata, noticing the trend and wanting to spend some time with her new Partner, released her own Togepi and clutched the baby Pokemon to her chest.

After only a few minutes of walking, Leaf had a minor thought, "Do you think that Nidorina is gonna miss her friends?" She asked, thinking about the group of Pokemon it had fought so hard to protect.

Naruto winced at that, he was really trying to avoid that line of thought. "I hope not, but we couldn't just leave her to die there. There is also Hinata's mission to think about. You've gotta remember that Nidorina, regardless of the situation, was seriously harming young Trainer's Pokemon." He would just have to ask Nidorina himself, he could understand her attacking people after an ordeal with Team Rocket. Similar to Scylla, she was likely angry and hurt.

* * *

They made good time, arriving in Viridian only an hour later. While they could've made it much faster they felt no need to rush, the Stasis-Mode of Pokeballs would keep Nidorina completely protected until they got her to Nurse Joy.

Leaf had gotten some good experience battling some passing Trainers, combined with Naruto's advice and Hinata's healing. Bulbasaur was learning quickly, and ended up winning almost all of his matches.

"Halt!" A firm voice commanded as they passed the checkpoint into the city limits.

The group turned to see an Officer Jenny approaching them, dressed in her normal Police Uniform. "Where do you think you're going with those Pokemon?" She said, looking at the Pokemon in Hinata's arms.

Naruto seemed mildly amused by this, "To the Pokemon Center, obviously." He wasn't sure why she was stopping them at the checkpoint, but he was at least pretty sure he wasn't breaking any laws. This time.

If she was irritated by his comment or smirk, she didn't let it show. "There are Pokemon thieves in the area. I'll need to see your identification please."

 _'They are causing trouble in the city too? Arceus, these guys get around at least,'_ Naruto was pretty sure it was just the two, any more and it would be a lot harder to stay out of the Police's reach.

Naruto just shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out his Pokedex and opening it, "Adjutant, Identification please," he requested.

"Of course Naruto." With a small noise, the screen flickered on showing a picture of Naruto he had taken at the Order's HQ with Grace. "I am The Adjutant an Artificial Intelligence provided for Aura Grandmaster, Naruto Uzumaki, Prince of Rota, to assist him on his Journey."

Leaf's eyes bugged out of her head at that. _'Grandmaster? Prince? Whaaaa?'_ Leaf was floored by this new info, she was traveling with a Prince? She fell asleep in the arms of a _Prince!?_ And he was Grandmaster of the Order! He had told her about the roles when she asked, but she always assumed he was a Knight due to the fact he was traveling. Why was such an important person just lazily making his way through Route 1? She decided to ignore it, for now, she could ask him later in private.

Hinata didn't visibly react to that announcement, she was practically raised as a princess beside him after all. She was wondering where he got the Pokedex though. She was assigned one when she left on her first mission, but his seemed far more advanced.

Officer Jenny was a bit confused on how to react to that, and ended up staying professional about it. After checking the other two she spoke up, "I apologize for stopping you then Sir Naruto, but you were the only people I have seen come from this Route with their Pokemon out. Normally when they head for the Center their Pokemon are tired, and they keep them in their Balls."

"Would you like an escort to the Center? It would be an honor to assist a Guardian, and I would be happy to show you the way." She offered.

Naruto didn't see any harm, "That would be great thanks!" He hadn't actually passed it on his first way through Viridian so having someone show the way would only speed things up. They got moving again, taking in the sights of the City.

"You said there were Thieves in the area right? We had a few run-ins with the aftermath of some Team Rocket plans earlier in Route 1."

"Really!? Did you find any of the members?!" She asked seriously If they could put those Thieves behind bars, people in Viridian would sleep much better at night. With security on alert in the City, tension has been running high.

Naruto shook his head sadly, "No we didn't, instead we found an enraged Gyarados whose home they had destroyed, and a group of Poison-types they had collared and abandoned." Naruto grit his teeth at the thought of his new Pokemon being treated so poorly.

"Oh, Arceus! All we thought they had done was attempt some minor Pokemon Poaching within the city limits, they failed luckily, but they did manage to steal a large supply of mechanical parts from a storehouse." Officer Jenny was repulsed the criminals would actually harm Pokemon in such a way.

 _'These have got to be the worst criminals ever. They have enough brains to steal from a warehouse without getting caught, but not enough to just capture Pokemon normally?'_ He was confused about the stolen parts though. Maybe they needed to fix that machine Scylla had mentioned?

"We managed to get some brief images of the criminals." She said producing to wanted posters out of nowhere and holding them up for Naruto. "Their faces are shadowed out but we should still be able to identify them by this!"

That helps. Now he could see if they were the same Rocket members that attacked Scylla. Nudging her with his Aura to get her attention, he focused his Sight on the images. Mixing his own Aura with Scylla's through the Bond he granted her temporary access to his senses.

A low growl rumbled through his mind, and he felt the anger brought on by the vision of the wanted posters. Cutting the sensory link, he questioned Scylla, _"Are those the ones that attacked you?"_

 _"Indeed. Normally, I would wish to deal with these cretins myself, but considering we are within a human city, I doubt you want to pay for the damages my wrath would incur. I shall just have to let you deal with them in my place."_ She responded, she had already placed her faith in Naruto, so she would be satisfied with however he dealt with them.

Arriving at the Pokemon Center, the group walked directly up to the counter. Naruto informed the Nurse Joy there about what had happened to the Nidorina, and the Nurse rushed off to the Emergency Room to try and save the Pokemon.

Naruto took this opportunity to give his Mother a call, letting her know he had arrived safely in Viridian. Hinata and Leaf went with him to the video-phone. Hinata had to inform Kushina of the completed mission while Leaf was just curious to meet the woman Naruto and Hinata had talked so much about.

* * *

"Naruto!" A happy Kushina appeared on the video-phone, "I see you made it to Viridian! To be honest I expected you to be in Pewter by now, knowing how fast you move. Taking it slow are we?"

"Yeah, I was planning on moving a bit faster than we did, but we ran into some trouble already," Naruto told his mother about all the run-ins with Team Rocket and his new Pokemon, briefly mentioning how he ran into Hinata, and they completed the mission given by the Nurse Joy.

"Team Rocket, huh?" Kushina said in a serious voice, "Be careful Naruto, I know I don't have to tell you how bad they are, but please try to be safe." She said worried, even knowing Naruto was a strong Guardian she couldn't help but worry about him. He was a trouble magnet after all, and meeting Team Rocket, within the first few hours of his Journey, was a terrible omen.

"Oh?" Kushina said, her serious mood shifting back to her cheerful self, "What's this Naruto? Starting your Harem already?!" She said in mock surprise, noticing the two girls standing close to him. Her words got two scarlet blushes and one sigh in response.

His Mother had been encouraging him to build himself a Harem for some time now. When she noticed he was growing into a handsome young man she immediately got excited at the prospect of seeing her son surrounded by women. Something that didn't seem that hard to pull off considering he had already stolen the hearts of almost all the female members of the Order. Such a young man growing up to be handsome _and_ powerful, attracted women easily.

"This is Leaf, we met at the Old Man's lab, she's heading for the League same as me, so we decided to travel together." He said with a big smile, "She's gonna be the next member of the Elite Four same as Hinata!"

Leaf smiled at the faith he put in her, he really took other people's dreams seriously and believed in them entirely. "It's a pleasure to meet you Kushina! Naruto already told me a lot about you, he was right you really are beautiful!"

Kushina's face slowly turned the same shade as her hair. Her son was talking about her beauty to other girls? That might her happy in a way that wasn't entirely appropriate. "O-Oh? D-Did he now? What all did he say about me?" Part of her was telling her she shouldn't care, but another part was curious to hear what else he thought about her.

"He was telling me about how you're really strong, and fun to be around! He also said he loved your pretty red hair!"

At this point Kushina was about to lose her composure, she needed to cool off, fast. So she decided to give herself a way out.

Trying her best to sound Authoritative, "Naruto, I'd like to hear Hinata's report on her first mission from her perspective, could you please give us some privacy."

* * *

Giving the two girls time to talk, Naruto took Leaf out to to the Training Field behind the PokeCenter. Giving her some small advice on training her Bulbasaur, he released Scylla in one of the large training pools, and took this moment to pull out his Pokedex. "Adjutant, Scan please."

"Of course Naruto" The female voice responded,

 **Gyarados the Atrocious Pokemon**

 **This Pokémon has a vicious temperament, so use extreme caution. Its fangs can crush stones and its scales are harder than steel.**

 **This Gyarados is female and has the Ability Intimidate**

 **This Gyarados knows the Moves – Roar, Thrash, Twister, Payback, Scary Face, Hyper Beam, Rain Dance, and Dragon Rage.**

"That's a pretty aggressive Move-set you have, Scylla," He remarked already studying it. "Alright let's work on a new move, since I doubt we could train any of those without accidentally doing some damage to the Center. We'll try to learn Crunch, it'll give you some close range variety and complement the style I plan on teaching you. Sound good?" Getting a vicious smile in return.

Scylla went straight to work, targetting the large target buoys floating along the pool, she practiced gathering dark Aura into her jaws and attempted to use Crunch.

"Master," A noticeably more quiet voice called out to him.

"Something wrong Grace?" He could feel her uncertainty and guessed it was about her fight with Scylla. He had spent long enough with his Partner to tell when she was frustrated with herself.

She looked him in the eyes, her normal red flashing with blue as her Aura reacted to her determination. "Yes. Even despite our years together, I still find myself lacking against a flying opponent. I have no weapon against them. I have only lost against them, and today I was useless against Scylla. I would like to fix this now, so that I do not lose again." She said firmly.

Weapons against flying types? Thunder Punch would be best then, maybe Dragon Pulse or Flash Cannon later for range. "Alright, Grace I hear ya" He had been neglecting her slightly for his own Training when he was in Rota. He would do his best to make it up to her now, "Let's start with Thunder Punch, I don't have much experience with Electric-types so we will have to use videos for this," Naruto said, using his Pokedex to search for demonstration videos of Thunder Punch. After watching a few with Grace he let her start experimenting with it and went off to check on Leaf.

* * *

 **Back with Hinata and Kushina**

Hinata had given her report on the mission to Kushina, sparing no details on her interactions with Naruto.

Kushina was giddy hearing Hinata was finally making progress with her son, "And what about Leaf? Is she going to be the first one to join?"

Hinata got an excited look as she remembered Leaf snuggling up to Naruto after their battle, "I think so, she's already got a small crush on him, and Naruto seems to like her."

Damn her son was awesome. The first town he stops at and he has already got a cute girl crushing on him. "Well make sure to give me all the juicy details! I want to hear all about my son's progress with his Harem!" Kushina said with a big smile.

Hinata got a teasing smile at that, "Ohohoh, curious about Naruto's love life are you? Why is that Kushina? Planning on joining the Harem yourself?" She said her grin getting even bigger when she saw her Master's face light up. Kushina was usually the one teasing her, so it felt good finally returning fire.

"W-W-Wha," Kushina stammered, scandalized Hinata would suggest that. "Of course not! He's my Son!" It was too late though, the thought was already planted in Kushina's mind and it wouldn't be leaving soon. She thought about the hug she gave him when he left, his strong body wrapping up hers, as he planted a kiss on her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth-

Stop! She tried her best to shake the thoughts out of her head when she felt her legs heat up. She was going to need a cold shower after this.

Let it be known that Hinata was a pervert. When she had approached Hinata about building Naruto a Harem, she just got a glazed look in her eyes and a dopey grin. She didn't even have to try to convince her as Hinata was already lost in the fantasy, planning her own ways to make it work.

Why were they trying to build Naruto a Harem? Well,

* * *

 **Flashback - Night of Naruto's 13th Birthday**

Naruto and Kushina had just fallen asleep for the night, having enjoyed a full day together. Neither was a big fan of parties so they usually just took the day off and hung out together. They spent the day lounging around lazily and talking or watching movies.

Later that Night, however, something changed.

As soon as they fell asleep, both Naruto and Kushina found themselves in a strange place.

It was black.

An overwhelming feeling of emptiness.

The areas surrounding them were nothing but Void, the only distinguishable surface being under their feet. When they looked out at the vast nothingness, they felt a strong sense of vertigo and their heads spun.

Their eyes were suddenly drawn to a flash of light, directly in front of them.

Slowly, a large structure materialized from the void. Walls, Pillars, and Statues all rose in a straight line, colored in various shades of grey and what looked like Marble.

The walls were cracked and broken, worn with age and faded in color.

The Statues looked fresh and new, displaying various Legendary Pokemon that they had recognized, and some they hadn't. The unfamiliar ones seemed to slide from their vision, impossible to focus on.

It looked like an old Temple, with a corridor leading to a massive silver Throne laced with gold, it was beautiful, providing a striking contrast with the dreary color tone provided by the Temple.

Laying down across the Throne, was the "Original One", Arceus. The Mythical Pokemon was hardly believed to exist, only appearing in vague stories and legends.

But here It was, watching them.

Then it spoke, it's voice gentle, and genderless. Lying just on the edge of their senses, they didn't dare reach out to its Aura, as they could feel something vast, and beyond comprehension.

"Greetings," It spoke, "I am Arceus, Creator of all Pokemon, and _you_ Naruto Uzumaki, are my Chosen One,"

Their reactions were surprisingly tame all things considered.

Maybe it was due to Arceus' Aura calming them, maybe it all just felt too surreal, or maybe they were simply disbelieving.

Kushina spoke up first, "What do you mean my son is your 'Chosen'," she said skeptically, "And why would a deity need a Chosen in the first place?"

"I have sworn not to interfere in the affairs of the humans," The Creator started, "But my children are injured, and I cannot sit idle any longer. Naruto shall be my Will in the world of Pokemon, and shall change things in my place." It declared.

"When I created the world, I expected Humans and Pokemon to thrive together, and while it is true in most cases, in recent times various Human groups have been slipping away from this. These Criminal Organizations based in the various regions have been hurting, and experimenting on my children. I shall take a more active role from now on, using Naruto as my focus. He is my Chosen, and he will destroy these criminal groups, and I shall take measures to ensure it never happens again." Arceus said

"You want me to go around picking fights with massive criminal organizations?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Not by yourself, of course, the Order of Aura Guardians has been coming back, as you know. This pleases me greatly, Aura is only granted to those with good intent. It is the very life of the world, and will work in your favor against these malicious forces."

"You will be waking up soon, so I will be brief, I have another task for you as well." Arceus continued,

"The Uzumaki clan have always embraced the very nature of Aura, respecting Pokemon, using their Aura for good, and placing family above all else. These traits have set them above the rest and made their Aura potent and strong. I wish to bring back your clan so I have set another condition," Arceus said, now rising from Its Throne and slowly making Its way to them.

"In order to bring the clan back quickly, Naruto will gather multiple mates along his Journey, to teach in the ways of Aura, and assist him in his Tasks. Once you have completed the first task, his mates will bare the next generation of the Uzumaki clan, and bring them back to this world."

It stopped in front of them, "Naturally, Kushina will assist him with this,"

Both Uzumaki went wide-eyed at that comment, before blushing and looking away from each other.

A low chuckle echoed throughout their mind, as Arceus noticed they had misunderstood, "I wasn't referring to mating, but if that is what she wishes then I shall give my blessing. She will help him find these mates, and ensure the girls he chooses are worthy of the name Uzumaki."

"You will need at least five mates for this second task Naruto, however, the more you have, the happier I will be, choose well, Chosen."

As the world faded away again, Naruto heard a last parting comment from the Creator,

"Do a good job, and I just might _reward_ you."

* * *

 **Back with Naruto**

A few hours passed, and Naruto was just wrapping up his team's training. He had spent the time going between his two Pokemon and Leaf, giving advice and watching their progress.

He was rather satisfied with how it went, both of his Pokemon had picked up the attacks rather quickly. Scylla had already performed a few makeshift Crunches, thanks to her experience with Dark-type moves. She had already mastered Payback and had the general idea of how they felt. It took her about two hours to successfully use a Crunch, but the power was lacking compared to her other moves.

Grace was having more difficulty. She was dedicated to her training, and didn't stop for a moment, but found herself struggling. Thunder Punch was an entirely different move from the rest of her set, and she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. Neither had any experience with electric type moves, and Grace hadn't fought any Electric-types either, so she was at an impasse for now. She _had_ managed to generate a few sparks briefly, but it seemed to be a bit of a fluke as she couldn't do it again.

She didn't let it slow her down though. She was set on getting stronger, and a few hours of frustration was nothing.

Leaf had taken a different approach to training, already noticing Bulbasaur had a weaker grasp of the basics than her traveling companion's Pokemon. Instead, she focused on some endurance training, having her Bulbasaur keep his attacks up for as long as possible. Hopefully increasing the strength behind his moves in the process.

It was made very clear Bulbasaur was still young. He had to stop multiple times for short breaks throughout the training. While he had been a bit discouraged, watching Scylla and Grace train hard without pause, a bit of water and lots of encouragement from Leaf, and a kick in the ass by Naruto, got him fired back up.

Just as the sun started setting, Naruto called over his two Pokemon. Giving them both a pat on the head and praise for working so hard, he recalled Scylla for the night. After watching Leaf wrap up her own training, they both headed back into the Center.

* * *

Walking back into the Pokecenter, Naruto searched for Nurse Joy to ask how the treatment went. Hinata had assured him she would be fine, but he still didn't like to see Pokemon hurt so badly. Especially now that the Nidorina was his.

Seeing the Nurse walking back to the counter, he called out. "Nurse Joy! Is Nidorina okay?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"She's fine now, I was able to fix her injuries with no problem, it's good that you got her to the PokeCenter so fast. But I've never seen injuries quite like that before, what happened?" She asked, thinking about the various electrical burns around the Pokemon's neck.

Naruto explained what happened with Team Rocket and the collars, and how the Nidorina was just attacking Trainers to protect the young Pokemon.

Nurse Joy was heartbroken at the thought of the injured Pokemon, and by Team Rocket no less. "How terrible, they just can't leave this area alone can they?" She said mostly to herself, placing a hand on her chest. "Well, you can go in and see her now, she's all healed up so you can put her back in her Ball whenever you're ready." She said handing Naruto back Nidorina's Pokeball and showing him the way to her room.

"Grace you should probably wait in the lobby, Nidorina might recognize you and think you are a threat still," He said to his quietly trailing Partner.

"Of course, I will go find Hinata." His Partner said before disappearing around the corner. He turned back to the door and walked into the room.

As Naruto entered he took a look around the room. It looked just as a hospital room would look like, modified for Pokemon. He saw various mechanical devices lining one of the walls, some basic equipment to monitor vitals, and a large stretcher in the center of the room, which Nidorina was curled up on, watching him warily.

Seeing she was on guard, he decided to talk to her a bit first, "Hey Nidorina," He started, "I'm the one who found you in the forest on Route 1. You had a nasty shock collar on you so I took it off, but you were injured pretty badly." He paused for a moment, getting a bit closer and sitting down on a chair next to the stretcher, watching her flinch at the memories. "I took you here to get healed, Nurse Joy was the only one who could save you, and she did."

Naruto hoped that would ease her worries a bit, and decided to get to the point. "I'm an Aura Guardian, and that gives me an ability to talk to Pokemon telepathically through a Bond. I would like to talk to you, if you'd let me. I have another Pokemon that was also hurt by the group that attacked you, and I'm searching for them, anything you can tell me would help." He said carefully as he observed her,

Watching her incline her head a bit, and taking that as a 'yes', he leaned forward in his chair and gently placed one of his hands on top of her head. Reaching out with his Aura again, he pushed it just far enough to form the bond.

 _"There, now we can talk."_ He said mentally. _"Now-"_

 _"What happened to the others,"_ The Nidorina asked, calmly.

 _"You mean the other Pokemon? They are fine, I found them and removed their collars, luckily theirs weren't activated so all of them are unharmed. We left them in the forest."_ Naruto explained, before going over the events in the forest. He told her everything that had happened with the young Pokemon, and briefly described what had happened to Scylla.

 _"I can take you back to them, if you want."_ He added a bit disheartened at losing a friend before he could even get to know them.

Nidorina thought about it for a moment, studying the Trainer before her. After a minute or so, she shook her head. _"You don't need to do that. Knowing that they are safe is enough for me. I didn't really know any of them, I was just in the area when we were attacked."_

 _"I don't really mind being captured either, and having a Trainer that can understand me seems nice."_ She added when she felt his discomfort. She couldn't help but appreciate the big smile he gave her.

 _"I'm glad!"_ He said, nearly bouncing in his seat. _"I'm happy to have you on the team! Right now there are two other Pokemon with me, and I'm sure you'll love them both."_

While he was happy for the new member, there was something more important at the moment. Hopefully, Nidorina would provide some useful information.

Naruto's gaze hardened and his tone turned serious. _"Can you tell me anything about the attack? These criminals are stealing and hurting Pokemon in the area, and I am going to stop them as fast as possible."_

Nidorina was startled by this change that had overtaken the young man. His cheerful demeanor vanished in an instant, making it seem like a facade in the first place. The emotions he was displaying to her so openly through the Bond, now tightened and under control. She guessed this was his 'Guardian' side taking over.

 _"There isn't a lot I can tell you, I didn't get a good look at them. They attacked from a large balloon, shaped like a Meowth head, and launched those collars at us before we could react. They released an Ekans and Koffing and tried to get us to surrender, but I attacked them back. The collar around my neck activated, but I ran them off anyway. The fight was brief but it triggered my Evolution. I don't remember much after that."_ She said.

 _"It's alright, that's plenty to go on. But an Ekans and Koffing huh? Weird, they must have a thing for Poison-types."_ He hummed in thought as he went over the new information.

 _'A hot-air balloon? Seriously? How have these guys not been caught?'_ Naruto was baffled yet again by this mysterious Rocket Duo.

 _"That will be a lot of help, I'll tell Officer Jenny to look out for the balloon. Do you mind if I recall you? I know you're all healed but you should still get some rest."_ He asked.

 _"That's fine, I am tired after all of that."_ She nodded in consent.

 _"Before I do, I've gotta ask. Do you have a name?"_ He asked with a big smile as he completed the Bond.

* * *

Naruto walked back into the lobby, happy with how his time with the new Pokemon had gone. They had discussed some small things to get a better feel for each other, then he introduced her to his other Pokemon through the Bond. While she seemed a bit guarded at first, Scylla and Grace got her talking pretty quickly and they started getting along well. He let them have their conversation in peace and pulled out of the Bond.

Seeing Hinata and Leaf sitting at one of the waiting areas, talking. He was about to walk over, when he heard a phone ringing. Looking around he noticed it was the Nurse Joy's terminal, not seeing Joy around he guessed she had stepped out for a bit.

Shrugging to himself, he pressed the answer key. "Hello, this is the Viridian City Pokemon Center," He said, looking at the monitor as it turned into a 'Voice Only' call interface.

"Naruto?" A voice behind him said. He turned and saw the back of Professor Oak's head, appearing on a large screen on the wall of the Pokemon Center.

He sweat-dropped at the odd situation, "Uhhh, Old Man the camera is flipped." He said shaking his head at the absent-minded man.

"Oh! Wrong camera sorry!" Oak said as he typed something into his keyboard and the Camera corrected, showing his face. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to answer Naruto, where's Nurse Joy?"

"I dunno, I think she went out for a bit. The phone was ringing so I answered it myself, was there something you needed Old Man?"

"Yes! Actually, its good you answered instead, I was planning on calling your X-Transceiver next. I'm checking up on all the Trainers that left today, Gary and Ritchie are in Pewter right now, but I can't seem to locate Leaf and was getting worried. Did you happen to see her after you left?"

"Haha, yeah I guess you could say that. She's here right now, I'll call her over." He said as he asked Grace to get Leaf's attention, then waved her over.

She walked over after noticing him, "Yes Naruto?"

Naruto just gestured to the monitor,

"Ah, Leaf! It's good to see you're alright, the other Trainers had already called and let me know where they were so I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry Professor! I was traveling with Naruto and we ran into trouble so it slipped my mind." She bowed and apologized,

"No worries! I'm just glad you're alright. So you're traveling with Naruto huh? That's great, I'm sure you can learn a lot from him, so be sure to pay attention." He said with a slight lecturing tone as he rubbed his chin. "But what kind of trouble did you come across? I know there is an agitated Spearow flock that just moved into Route 1, but I didn't think they would disturb any passing Trainer."

Leaf explained what happened, with Naruto briefly chiming in at some points. The Professor just quietly listened and nodded along with the story.

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. You got quite unlucky running into Team Rocket so early. You'll need to Train hard in case this happens again Leaf, the better prepared you are, the easier it will be to deal with them."

Leaf just quietly nodded at that, thinking on how well Naruto had handled the situation. She would have to Train seriously if she wanted to be of any help to him. Now that he had Scylla and a strong Nidorina, she was falling further behind. She silently vowed to get strong quickly, and be a match for her crush.

While Leaf was in thought, Oak turned his attention to Naruto. "Well Naruto, since you found one of my Trainers I have to ask, did you see a young man with a Pikachu on Route 1? He was the fourth Trainer that had left the lab, and since he showed up late he started with a Pikachu. The problem is that I'm not quite sure how well he got along with his new Pokemon so I've been trying to locate him as well." Oak said.

"No, we battled a decent amount of Trainers on Route 1, but we didn't see any Pikachus. Though I am curious why you gave that Trainer a Pikachu, and not one of the League sanctioned starters?" Naruto said with a pointed look at the now-nervous Professor.

"Well it was his idea actually, I was going to have to make him wait for the next day but he wanted to start his Journey immediately and the only Pokemon I had on hand was a Pikachu." He said doing his best to dodge the bullet.

Naruto just sighed, he should've expected something like that from the Professor. But there was nothing he could do now, "You know you could've just contacted one of the other Regional Professors and asked if they had any starter Pokemon to spare?"

Professor Oak promptly slammed his face on the desk, clearly, he hadn't thought of that. Rubbing his red forehead, he cleared his throat. "Well, he was happy to have the Pikachu so it all ended well right?" Oak said, neglecting to mention the kid had been electrocuted heavily before even leaving the lab.

"I'm going to let you go now Naruto. Good luck on your Journey and please watch out for Leaf for me."

Naruto nodded and said his goodbyes with the Professor, as he ended the call.

* * *

Leaf and Naruto went back over to Hinata, deciding to relax and hang out for a while before they booked their rooms. Naruto faceplanted into the couch and moaned as he finally got some rest after the long day. Leaf just took a seat next to him, watching him stretch out on the couch and go limp.

She started back up her conversation with Hinata, as Naruto occasionally added his muffled input.

After a few minutes passed by there were interrupted by a brief announcement by Officer Jenny, telling them the Thieves' Aircraft was spotted in the city.

The sound of glass shattering filled the Center and two figures dropped down from the shattered skylight. Haughty laughter rang out as the two called out their Pokemon.

"To Protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peopl-" and that was as far as they got before they found themselves pinned to the ground, silver chains binding their arms and legs.

"Seriously!? We just sat down! Can't you guys go five minutes without being annoying?" Naruto loudly complained after he noticed it was the two idiots that have been causing trouble all day. He was still sprawled out on the couch in the lounge, not deeming them enough of a threat to get up.

Leaf was quite confused on how to react to the situation, her first thought being to call out Bulbasaur and fight, but considering Grace was standing between them and the criminals, and her two companions were unbothered, she decided to just sit and wait. While slightly inching closer to Naruto.

"How dare you, Twerp! We are members of the Great Team Rocket we demand respect!" The magenta-haired one shouted from her spot pinned to the floor.

"Surrender your Pokemon now and we won't have to hurt you!" The blue-haired one shouted beside their partner.

Naruto glanced at the two on the ground and sat up, putting one of his hands on his chin he adopted a thinking posture. Then he looked to his side at a slightly amused Hinata.

"Hey Hinata," He whispered just loud enough for the two on the ground to hear him, "Is that blue-haired one a boy or a girl? I can't tell, Scylla seems to think they are female but I'm pretty sure that's a male uniform." He said blatantly pointing at the 'guy' on the ground.

Hiding her laughter she replied in an equally conspiratorial tone, "I'm not sure either. Maybe 'she' is just into cross-dressing?"

The blue-haired one's face flamed with embarrassment, "I'm a guy!" He exclaimed.

He was met with three sets of, "Liar!" as Leaf joined in on the fun.

"Enough!" The magenta-haired one said, "If you won't take us seriously then it's your funeral! Ekans use Poison Sting on that white Pokemon!" She shouted dramatically.

Only to be met with four sighs in unison. Grace, Naruto, Hinata, and Leaf all shook their heads as the Poison-type attack harmlessly bounced off the chest of Grace.

"Alright Grace, this one's all you, remember we are in a Pokemon Center don't do any damage to the building!" Naruto said before laying back down on the couch, his hands behind his head, he left Grace to fight without his input.

"Good luck Grace!" Hinata cheered from her spot on the chair.

"You can do it!" Leaf cheered alongside her, getting into the mood.

* * *

The two criminals couldn't believe their nonchalance, they didn't seem worried in the slightest.

"Why didn't my attack work?"

"Lucario is a Steel-type, Poison doesn't affect them" Naruto helpfully chimed in from his spot on the couch.

"What? That's not fair!" She yelled, slightly worried that this Pokemon was immune to at least half of their team's attacks. But her arrogance and pride prevented her from doing anything about it.

"Ekans use Bite" She commanded.

Opening its mouth and making its fangs glow white, the Ekans lunged at Grace aiming for her neck.

Grace reacted quickly ducking under the lunge, and planting her right hand just under the chin of the Ekans she let loose a powerful Force Palm, a large bright-green blast exploded out from the attack. Sending the Ekans flying back and crashing into the floor.

"Koffing Tackle!" The 'guy' shouted, while trying to move his head enough to actually see the fight from his spot on the ground.

The Poison-Gas Pokemon immediately moved, trying to catch Grace by surprise and attack from behind her.

Grace had seen the attack coming a mile away, thanks to her Aura and merely sidestepped the Tackle. Turning her attention to the Pokemon flying past her, she charged her fist with orange energy and lashed out with a swift Counter, striking the Pokemon in the side. The attack was weak against Poison, but would put the Pokemon down for a moment and that was all she would need.

Taking advantage of the shift in her favor, she swapped targets again and materialized a Bone Rush with her Aura. Rushing to the Ekans, who was now back off the ground, and begun her assault. Coming down in a flurry of blows the white Lucario unleashed a series of rapid strikes to any weak points she could spot on the Ekans' body.

Ekans shrieked in pain as the super-effective attack came raining down on it, and fell unconscious before it even hit the ground.

Grace didn't stop for a moment to appreciate her minor victory. Already moving to block the next Tackle that came at her from the side. She used the last of her Bone Rush to take the brunt of the attack, abandoning her club now that she was fighting a Pokemon with Levitate, she stepped back and gave herself some distance to prepare her next move.

This one was immune to Ground-type moves, so she couldn't use the same method. It was also resistant to Fighting-type moves, so it would take a bit more effort.

 _'No matter, I will end this quickly before they get any ideas,'_ She cloaked herself once more with a silver Quick Attack and shot off like a bullet, striking the Koffing with a palm thrust. Following up her attack, she shifted her weight to her other side and launched a Power-up Punch planning on using the increased attack to finish this.

Watching the Koffing go down once more, she waiting for it to get back up and continue the fight. She was mildly surprised to see swirls in its eyes, it was weaker than she thought.

Her senses tingled as she felt the presence waiting above her, finally make its move.

"I've got you now! Taste my Furry Swipes!" A Meowth shouted as he descended upon her.

Already channeling her Aura into a Detect, she gracefully spun out of the range of the Meowth's pounce. Using the Detect to guide her aim, she quickly summoned an Aura Sphere and fired it directly into the path of the falling Pokemon.

The blue sphere of energy crashed into the Meowth and sent him flying into the far wall of the Center, where she heard a small "I surrender" call out.

Sweatdropping at the ease of her opponents, she took a look at the two idiots her Master had chained down.

They were both sweating heavily as their Pokemon were taken down and finally the realization of their situation sunk in.

* * *

Naruto watched the fight with conflicting emotions, he was proud of Grace for dealing with her opponents so easily but that wasn't what was bothering him.

The two grunts tied to the ground were.

His first thought would be to beat them up and down Kanto for inflicting such pain on Pokemon, but something had made him pause.

They both had Aura.

Normally such a thing would be impossible. Two _Criminals_ had Aura.

Aura only works for the Pure of Heart. It would never work for those who committed crimes or had corrupted morals, so he found himself wondering what to make of them.

Their Aura wasn't activated yet, but it was there. A few conclusions jumped into his head, maybe they were forced into crime, or spies, or maybe just stupidly loyal.

It didn't matter really, but he did need to do something about it. So, forming a plan in his head he got their attention, "You guys attacked a nest of Water and Poison-types. Why?" He asked bluntly.

They looked at each other for a moment and both decided they had no choice but to answer.

"We were trying to steal Pokemon for the Boss, he's been on our case recently about stealing rare Pokemon and he might fire us if we fail." The girl said with shame.

Boss huh? Well, that could be some crucial information. Asking now would probably end poorly so he decided to change the subject.

"You attacked with a Robot of some sort, what was it?"

"That was one of our inventions, it was supposed to be able to capture the Water Pokemon with large nets but it wasn't fast enough."

They made their own Robot? But they still can't catch _baby_ Pokemon? What the hell is wrong with these people?

Then it struck him.

A sudden epiphany and everything was made perfectly clear.

Naruto shot up off the couch and stood up, snapped his fingers, "Aha!" He exclaimed dramatically, "I've figured you two out now!" He said pointing at them. "You two are..." He built up, his voice sounding incredibly pleased with himself.

"Idiot Savants!" He finished with a big smile, satisfied with his own conclusion.

Leaf and Hinata couldn't contain their laughter anymore and broke into giggles at his posing.

The two 'Idiot Savants' would've fallen over if they hadn't already been on the ground so instead they slammed their heads on the floor.

"Who are you calling an idiot!?" The duo shouted in unison.

Naruto just laughed, "You, obviously. I mean really, you built a working robot, but didn't realize you could just go buy Pokeballs and catch Pokemon normally." He said putting up one finger,

"You broke into a warehouse and stole parts effectively, but you broke into the Pokemon Center through the skylight, which is directly above the _front door._ " He said putting up a second finger,

"You attacked a group of Poison-types, when you only had two Poison-types and a Normal-type with you, despite the fact that you'd only be doing half damage with your own Pokemon." He said putting up a third finger.

"And finally, you attacked Grace, my _Steel-type_ with Poison attacks, seemingly unaware that she'd be immune." He said putting up a fourth finger, and laughing at them.

"You guys have got to be the worst criminals ever," He said mercilessly crushing their spirits.

Suddenly a rain cloud appeared out of nowhere and started raining on the heads of the two depressed grunts.

Letting out one more laugh, he reached down and grabbed the two Pokeballs the Thieves had, and recalled the fallen Ekans and Koffing.

"Hey! What are you doing with our Pokemon!" The girl said, while she was a thief she still cared about her Ekans and didn't want it taken from her.

"Taking them away from you, for now. Be a good girl for Officer Jenny and you might see them again." He said with a slightly mocking tone.

The grunts paled at the thought of being arrested, "What do you mean Office Jenny!?"

As if on cue, the front door to the Pokemon Center opened, and Officer Jenny walked in.

"What is going on here?" She asked in an authoritative tone, noticing the two people pinned to the ground and a small group of Trainers in the lounge.

"Team Rocket attacked the Pokemon Center, and Naruto fought them off and captured them." Replied Nurse Joy, appearing out of nowhere.

 _'How'd she sneak up on us like that? Most of us here use Aura.'_ Naruto thought to himself. Listening to Nurse Joy's explanation of the events to Officer Jenny, you'd think she was here the entire time. Naruto just brushed it off as him lazing around too much.

"Officer Jenny," He called out to her as Joy finished her explanation, "The Order has taken a special interest in these two, so I'd like to take responsibility for them. I'll have a Knight come and retrieve them in a few days if you could please hold them until then." He said in his 'Guardian' voice.

Officer Jenny straightened up and saluted him, "Of course, Sir!" She said, "I'll keep them locked up tight until then. What happened to their Pokemon?" She asked. While he wasn't her direct superior according to the League, all Aura Guardians were higher in station than Police Officers. They served as a different branch than the Police but carried much more authority, and could take command of any Officers available. Mainly in order to handle situations safely without worrying about the chain of command.

"I'll be sending them to HQ personally, I figure having them away from their Pokemon is for the best for now, and will give them some incentive to play nice while we move them," Naruto replied.

"Great! Thank you for your assistance Guardian, I'll let my sisters know about what you've done here!" Jenny said with a smile as she called for a prisoner transport and cuffed the Rocket members.

"I'll be doing the same!" Joy pitched in, happy that none of the Pokemon Center was damaged in the attack. Besides the glass, of course.

Chuckling at them Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "Alright, but when you do please tell them to just call me 'Naruto' I really don't like Titles."

Both women gave him happy smiles at that.

Officer Jenny gave him one last salute as the transport arrived and loaded them up. Before hopping on her motorcycle and following behind it.

As Jenny left, Nurse Joy profusely thanked Naruto and Grace for defending the PokeCenter. He just accepted the thanks saying it was the least he could do after Nurse Joy healed his Nidorina. Grace simply nodded along and said it was nothing.

Naruto wasn't about to let her get away with that, so he scooped her up in a big hug, mindful of the spike on her chest. Spinning her around he rubbed his cheek on hers and praised her for her awesome battle.

"Seriously Grace that was awesome, they were trying to triple team you, and you just took them all out flawlessly. You are such a badass." He said as he put her down.

Grace had the decency to blush at her Master's praise. Her white cheeks gaining a bit of pink as her normally stoic persona slipped for a moment.

"It was a very good battle Grace, you handled it perfectly," Hinata added as she approached.

"Yeah, Grace that was amazing! I totally thought that Meowth had you, but you just knocked him out before I could blink!" Leaf said excitedly as she imitated the Aura Sphere move Grace had made. She was amazed at how fast Grace had reacted to her opponents. It was like she knew everything that was going to happen.

"Thank you for the praise everyone, I just did my best." She said feeling slightly humble under the excited looks of the Trainers.

After things calmed down, they were back to lazing around in the Lounge. They talked about random things that popped up like future Pokemon they were going to capture or Gym Leaders they wanted to face.

Leaf was struck by another thought and decided to ask Naruto, "Hey Naruto? What happened to Nidorina was she okay?" She leaned forward in her seat.

Naruto just smiled as he laid out on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. "Yep! She's already all healed," He said showing Leaf her Ball, "I talked to her about it, and she agreed to join me. Apparently, she didn't know those Pokemon she was protecting, but was just in the right place at the wrong time. Since Nidorina have a strong sense of family bonding with its own kind, she jumped right in to protect them." He explained, letting his smile grow wider as he thought about his new friend.

Leaf smiled as well, happy for her companion, "Did you name her as well?" She didn't name her own Pokemon, but she enjoyed Naruto's names.

"Yeah, I named her Serket!"

* * *

An hour later and the trio were all laying around in a room they were given by Nurse Joy.

It was a standard Trainer room, not much besides two bunk beds, Hinata was sleeping on the bottom of one, while Naruto was opposite of her. Leaf was laying on the top bunk above Naruto.

"Hey Naruto," Leaf whispered as to not wake up Hinata, as she dropped her head over the railing to look at Naruto, "Are you really a Prince?" She asked quietly.

She heard a soft chuckle under her, "Yeah though I don't really act like one." He said.

"My Aunt is Queen Ilene of Rota, so until she has a child I'm the official Prince. Although considering there is no King of Rota, I doubt she will be having one any time soon." He explained.

"Why didn't you tell me? That seems kind of important you know." She said a bit irritated.

Naruto propped his head up with his hands to look at her. "Well it never came up, we have only known each other for half a day, and I don't like to introduce myself like that. I mean if I went around telling everyone I was 'Naruto Uzumaki, Grandmaster of the Order of Aura Guardians and Prince of Rota' I'd sound like a total prick." He said with a small pout at the end.

She laughed at his expression, "I guess that makes sense, but you're Grandmaster of the Order as well? That makes you super important doesn't it?"

Naruto laughed again, "Yeah it does, I was mainly appointed because of my talent with Aura and relation with Queen Ilene, but the Order still respects me a great deal. I plan on bringing it back in all its glory." He said confidently, "And become Pokemon Master of course," He added.

Leaf smiled at his dreams, he was aiming big, but from what little she'd seen in one day, she could already tell he was going to make it. Hopefully, she would be able to keep up.

"Can you help me train?" She asked suddenly, "I want to be a member of the Elite Four, but I don't know nearly as much about Pokemon as you do. When I was fighting Hinata, I had no idea what attacks she was using or anything about Fairy-types." She said with a bit of sadness seeping into her voice. Naruto silently listened.

"I felt so stupid! I should've studied more before I left, and I don't want to be underprepared again. You are much better at fighting, and you know a lot more about Pokemon than I do, I want you to help me. Please?" She asked hopefully.

Naruto stayed silent for a moment, thinking over everything she had said. He looked her in the eyes and smiled, "Of course I will Leaf, you are already better than the vast majority of trainers that start out. But I'll help you in any way I can."

Leaf's heart fluttered a bit as she raised her head back up and laid down on the bed. She was happy she got to talk with Naruto, and was already looking forward to her training.

Neither noticed Hinata open her eyes to watch them, before smiling and falling asleep.

Both girls fell asleep dreaming of a whiskered blonde.

* * *

 **Author's Notes (Minor Spoilers and Ideas)**

Chapter 3 finished, sorry this one took a bit longer than I expected. I had a bit of tech trouble for a few days but we are all good now. (Hopefully)

This one is a bit shorter. I didn't want to start Viridian Forest when this chapter was already ending.

I'm gonna be speeding up the story a bit considering we are on Chapter 3 and not even in Viridian Forest yet. Probably gonna skip or gloss over some of the minor arcs like Mt Moon.

 **Serket** – Another mythology name, I wasn't planning on using more than one, but this one is just perfect. Serket is the Egyptian Goddess of Poison stings and bites, usually associated with scorpions, and Protection. This was perfect for Nidorina and I hope you guys like it. (I know it would've worked with a Drapion, but I'm gonna have some fun with Nidorina. Plus Drapion is everywhere, Hunter J, Paul, Aaron.)

 **Legendaries** – Maybe later? Naruto won't be catching one of every Legend but I'll probably give him some that fit. He likely won't use them in battle much as Legendaries are overpowered. Maybe to help him deal with the Criminal Organizations? He's gotta beat Mewtwo somehow.

 **Harem** – Some of the girls I end up having in won't follow Naruto around everywhere obviously so you'll be seeing some more than others.

 **Pairings** – This is a story about Naruto dammit! No one else gets the ladies but him. I won't be pairing Ash or Lance with anyone. If they are already in a relationship I'm gonna be leaving them alone, no NTR or anything like that. (Side pairings feel like needless work to me, I might allude to them but I don't see the point in pairing a bunch of random guys and gals.)

 **Pokemon** **Harem**? – A lot of people were asking if I was adding some Pokemon to the Harem, I'm not into bestiality, but if you guys want it I might do Anthros. (If I do, it will be later, probably after the first league and will be something already human-like. Lucario or Garevior for example.) All of Naruto's Pokemon will be female, this was originally intended to be a joke. With him having a Pokemon 'Harem' and they all give him some puppy love like Ash's Bayleef.

 **Vulpix** – Yes. I can't decide which form though, so which one? Ice or Fire? I also need a name that would complement it well, for example, 'Serket' because Nidorina is protective and uses Poison. It will be female so keep that in mind.

 **Team Rocket** – I know it's been done before, but I'm thinking about putting them in the Order. I set this chapter up to give me a few options. I can either 1. Make them a duo of Knights and help with the fight against Team Rocket. 2. Ship James off to his home, never to be seen again, and Jessie serves under Naruto as a Squire, 3. Ship both off, and they disappear. (Jessie _could_ be in the Harem, but if she is I'm gonna curb her Haughty personality a bit.)

 **Ash** – He's gonna show up now and again, I plan on alluding to him a lot, like Oak talking about the 'fourth trainer'. This is _not_ going to be an Ash bashing fic, I noticed my title kind of makes it seem like that. At worst, he will get beaten by Naruto in a battle, and start taking his training seriously. (He is 15 in this so he's gotta be more mature)

 **Kushina** – Kushina is likely in, she is my favorite and I didn't see much against her. (She is running the Order in Naruto's place but does she really seem like she will just sit behind a desk constantly? Nope, she's gonna travel and drop in on Naruto every once in a while. She _is_ still an Aura Guardian and will have missions to take as well.

 **Janine/Aya** – Not going to be in the Harem, I thought about it but I've seen it done a few times already, and I don't really think they could fit in the Harem.

 **Lorelei** – Tempted.

 **Solidad** – This one flew under my radar. Completely forgot about her, and I am tempted now. It'll give me an excuse to play with contests. Maybe an on and off companion when they find themselves going the same way? Having 3 ladies Traveling with him feels like a lot but if you guys want it I'll make it work. She is a bit of a blank slate kind of like Leaf, so I get a bit of creative freedom there.

 **Pike Queen Lucy/Salon Maiden Anabel** – Maybe? That's a thought for another day, haven't gotten that far yet.


	4. A Rocky Start!

Chapter Four: A Rocky Start!

Naruto's eye was twitching as he looked down at the boy who had just attacked them. He was dressed in a set of black and yellow 'Armor' and a large Samurai styled helmet, a small katana strapped to his waist. The boy was sitting on his backside, rubbing his head and trying not to let the tears gathering in his eyes fall.

They had been camped out in Viridian Forest for about two weeks now, partially to get some solid training in before they reached the Pewter City Gym. The big reason they were set up here was for Leaf. The Viridian Forest was home to a large variety of Grass and Bug types. Making this spot the perfect place for Leaf to get some team members gathered.

Hinata is traveling alongside Leaf and Naruto for the foreseeable future now. After she had submitted her mission report, Kushina had assigned her a new 'mission' to watch over the Grandmaster and serve as his personal Nurse. Although it was more of a cover to let Hinata challenge the League alongside Naruto and Leaf, while at the same time getting some field experience as a Nurse.

They set up camp in the middle of the forest next to a large stream, and immediately got to work searching for Grass-types and training their Pokemon.

Leaf found a Seedot quickly on the first day, not very surprising since they can be found hanging from almost every tree in the forest, and she quickly battled and captured it.

With a bit more searching she was able to find a Shroomish and Paras, both of which she captured. She had found a few other Grass/Poison types but decided against them for now. While she _was_ going to be a Grass Pokemon Master, and probably catch every type of Grass Pokemon she could, right now she needed diversity for her Gym Battles.

After she was happy with her captures, they quickly got to training. Leaf focused on endurance and battle plans with her Pokemon, getting them used to using the combos that she created for them and trying her best to increase their stamina.

It had only taken a day to evolve her Seedot into a Nuzleaf, gaining a significant increase in power to her team.

Hinata focused on her Togepi, it would be much better for her if her Partner was fully evolved, so she trained hard with Togepi, making her spar with Chansey and Sneasel. She didn't neglect her other two Pokemon of course, and always had something for them to work on whether it be training or helping maintain the campsite and gather food.

Naruto was setting up Serket's battle style, and testing it against Grace. Since Grace was immune to Poison she made a splendid target. It worked double as evasion training for Grace so she didn't complain. They spent most of their time sparring and practicing some new moves. He had scanned her and learned that she had a decent set of moves for a new capture.

 **Nidorina the Poison Pin Pokemon**

 **The evolved form of the female Nidoran. It emits supersonic waves from its mouth to confuse its enemies.**

 **This Nidorina has the ability Poison Point**

 **This Nidorina knows the Moves – Growl, Supersonic, Double Kick, Double Team, Poison Sting, Bite, Toxic Spikes, and Venoshock.**

Grace was slowly gaining some traction with Thunder Punch, sped up by a run-in with some wild Pikachu. She got some experience being on the receiving end of a Thunderbolt, and got the general feeling of Electricity. While it wasn't ready for battle yet, the move was making progress.

Scylla was a bit more difficult, there were no large bodies of water in the area, so he settled for releasing her in the stream next to their camp. Her job was to keep watch on the camp while practicing a 'secret project' Naruto had come up with. The others still didn't know what she was doing, but judging from Naruto and Scylla's matching smirks, they probably didn't want to know. Progress on the project was slow going, but it'd be worth it in the end.

So the days passed by quickly, and the group all got some good experience with their Pokemon. Leaf had been battling passing Trainers whenever she could, and got advice from Naruto before and after every match, and explanations of moves she wasn't familiar with. When they finished up their Pokemon's training at the end of the day, Naruto would always spend an hour or two teaching Leaf about some Pokemon subjects she didn't know much about, like the Fairy-type or Mega Evolution.

Two weeks passed in the forest and they were all happy with their progress. They had decided to pack up and head for Pewter, confident in their chances at the first Gym.

As they were making their way out of the forest, they were suddenly attacked by a young trainer waving around a toy sword. Naruto reacted just as you'd expect with several years of martial training, and smacked him down a bit harder than was necessary.

Which leads us to the current situation.

"Why did you just jump out at us like that?!" Leaf yelled, having nearly jumped out of her skin at the surprise attack.

"I apologize, my name is Samurai and I only meant to challenge you to a Pokemon Battle," The boy responded.

Naruto reached down and bopped him on the helmet hard enough for him to feel it, "By swinging around a toy sword? Why not just walk up and ask normally?" Naruto said mildly irritated. If the kid was carrying a real sword he'd be having an entirely different conversation with him, but since it was a toy Naruto would give him a bit of a break.

The boy tried to rub his head through the helmet and got to his feet, "I'm sorry!" He said bowing, "I was searching for a trainer from Pallet Town! I was told another would be passing through this area soon, and have battled the last two. I was looking to fight this one as well." He picked his toy sword off the ground and sheathed it, turning to the group expectantly, "Are you the Trainers from Pallet? I challenge you to a Battle!" He said thrusting out a Pokeball.

Leaf was about to respond when she noticed Naruto and Hinata had both suddenly teleported to the side of the path, sitting under the shade of a large tree. They both pumped a fist in the air in unison.

"All right Leaf, you can do it!" Naruto cheered.

"Be sure to do your best!" Hinata joined in.

* * *

Shaking her head at her companions antics, she turned back to the boy, "I am Leaf Green from Pallet Town and I accept your challenge," She said with a grin on her face as she reached for a ball on her belt.

"Very well, it shall be a two-on-two battle," He said as he put some distance between them for a makeshift battlefield.

Leaf nodded at his terms, and they both called out their Pokemon.

"Go Metapod!," He called out, releasing a small green cocoon Pokemon.

"Start us off, Nuzleaf!" She called out one of her team's newest additions.

A small brown Pokemon with a single leaf on its head appeared. It was mostly brown, with lighter colors on its legs and a mask-like shape on its face. The leaf on its head was large indicating that it was Male.

Both spectators were curious about Leaf's choice, Nuzleaf had a double weakness to Bug-types so using him against a Bug-type Trainer was brave. Naruto had made sure to inform Leaf of Nuzleaf's various weaknesses when she captured him, so she had to have some sort of plan to counter them.

"Metapod use Harden!" Samurai commanded.

The Bug-type glowed light green for a moment as it hardened its shell.

"Use Sunny Day!" Leaf ordered to her Nuzleaf.

The Nuzleaf's arms began to glow white as two orbs formed on the tips of each. He pointed them at the sky and fired them, as they exploded in the sky, the sunlight intensified. Nuzleef glowed a slight green for a moment, signifying his ability Chlorophyll being activated and doubling his speed.

"Now use Bug Bite!"

The Metapod rushed forward its mouth glowing white as it tried to bite the Grass Pokemon.

"Dodge it and use Nature Power!" Leaf said as she knew the attack would hurt.

The Nuzleaf easily dodged to the side with his enhanced speed, and started to use Nature Power. They were inside a Forest so the attack took the form of an Energy Ball. Nuzleaf opened his mouth and a green ball of energy formed then, fired quickly at his opponent.

"Nuz!" He cried as the ball was launched.

The Energy Ball exploded on the Metapod, sending him flying back and crashing onto the ground in front of Samurai.

As the dust cleared, all four Trainers saw swirls in the eyes of the Metapod, indicating that Nuzleaf had won.

Recalling his Metapod with a small frown Samurai looked back up at Leaf, "You are stronger than I first thought, but you are no match for my next Pokemon," He said pulling out another Pokeball.

"Go Pinsir!"

A large brown bug Pokemon appeared on the field. It had gray spiked pincers on the top of its head and its mouth was open, with rows of teeth arranged horizontally. It had three claws on its hands and feet, and had an angry expression as it glared at Leaf.

"Pinsir!" It growled as it clicked it's pincers together.

Deciding that Nuzleaf was a bad matchup for this stronger Bug-type, she recalled him and sent out her next Pokemon.

"Finish this for us, Bulbasaur!" She tossed out her Pokeball containing her starter.

"Now Pinsir use Vice Grip!" Samurai yelled as he pointed at the Bulbasaur.

The Pinsir ran forward and thrust his horns at the Bulbasaur, scooping him up in a tight hold before the Grass-type could move.

Bulbasaur cried out as he felt the pincers dig into his sides as his opponent tightened his grip.

Leaf saw this moment as an opportunity, with Bulbasaur so close there was no way for Pinsir to dodge.

"Use Sleep Powder and get out of there!"

In a puff, the blue powder exploded from the bulb, and showered down upon the Bug before it could do anything. The Pinsir struggled for a moment, before his grip loosened and he dropped Bulbasaur. The Bulbasaur pushed off the Pinsir, gaining some distance between them, before he saw the Pinsir slump down where he was standing, asleep.

In a flash of insight, the Bulbasaur instinctively knew what to do next. He used the strong sun's rays to power himself, and his bulb started glowing a bright yellow.

All four Trainers were surprised by the sudden move. Naruto and Hinata both smiled widely when they recognized the attack.

After finishing gathering sunlight in his bulb, he leaned forward and braced his feet, then fired a large yellow beam out of his bulb, straight at the opposing Pinsir.

The attack cut through the air quickly, and crashed into the still-sleeping Pokemon. Powered by the Sunny Day, the attack did massive damage and blasted the Pinsir off its feet. The Pokemon hit the ground hard, unconscious.

"I surrender!" Samurai cried as he recalled his fallen Pokemon. He walked over and shook hands with Leaf, "You are a skilled opponent, and I enjoyed our match."

"Yeah, it was fun!" Leaf said, still surprised at her own Pokemon firing an unexpected Solar Beam

They were interrupted by a bright light coming from Bulbasaur, and they all watched as he glowed and changed shape. His body grew larger and his bulb opened up, revealing a pink bud. His skin grew a bit darker and his features become more pronounced as it finished Evolution.

"Ivysaur!" He cried, stomping his feet on the ground a few times.

"You Evolved!" Leaf rushed over and fell to her knees beside him, hugging him around the neck. "That's so awesome! And you learned Solar Beam! How?! Was it because of Sunny Day!? That's amazing! Now we are going to dominate the Pewter City Gym!" She chattered excitingly, overjoyed with her starter Pokemon.

Ivysaur took it all in stride, at this point used to his Trainer's eccentrics.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata watched as Leaf gushed over her newly Evolved starter. Evolution was a big deal for every Trainer and it being her starter just made it even more important. It was another step toward her dream and they were both happy for her.

Naruto got up and walked over to Leaf as she stood up. Giving her a small side hug, he congratulated both Leaf and Ivysaur.

"I think the Sunny Day helped him learn Solar Beam," Naruto speculated, answering her question from before.

"It's not that rare for Pokemon to learn new moves under the stress of combat, and the Sunny Day must have influenced it." He continued.

Leaf happily clapped her hands, "Wow that's awesome! That's one of the strongest Grass-type moves, so it'll be a great addition to my battles." She said was excited to have Solar Beam on her roster, and combined with Nuzleaf's Sunny Day it could be a vicious combo.

Samurai gave Leaf the prize money for winning and said his goodbyes, promising to battle again one day.

The group got back on the road to Pewter, traveling through the thick Viridian Forest. Still Battling Trainers as they went, Naruto and Hinata both took some fights for themselves, warming up for the Gym Battle.

* * *

Within a couple of hours, they saw the city at the foot of the hill. They took a moment to sit down and enjoy the sight as they rested.

"You're sitting on my merchandise," A gruff voice called from below them.

The group looked down the ledge to see a man sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of a small stand. He was wearing Hiking gear with a red beanie and white gloves. The stand had rocks of various sizes on the shelves, each with a red price tag attached.

"You sell rocks?" Leaf said as she looked at the rocks gathered around the stand.

"They're Pewter City souvenirs, rocks I picked up from Mt Moon, want to buy one?" He asked, not even turning to look at them.

Leaf looked at him strangely, while Hinata and Naruto both looked at each other and got matching grins.

"I'll take this one, please," Hinata said pointing to a large one sitting on the ground.

"And I'll buy this one," Naruto said pulling a smaller rock off of one of the top shelves.

The Hiker looked at them, surprised someone would actually buy his rocks but he brushed it off as them just being tourists. "500 Pokedollars for the small one and 1,000 for the larger one." He said as he watched them both pull out their wallets with smiles on their faces.

"Are you guys really gonna buy _rocks_?! She said completely confused. The man silently agreed with her, he did this mainly as a hobby and had only sold a few before to gullible Trainers.

Naruto just laughed it off, "Don't worry about it Leaf! I'm sure we can find a good use for them." He said with a knowing grin.

After they purchased their rocks Naruto placed his on the ground next to Hinata.

"Naruto could you do mine for me? I don't want to mess it up on accident and you are much better at it than me." Hinata asked.

"No problem Hinata!" He replied as he channeled Aura into his eyes and coated his fist. Smashing his hand down on the rock hard he used his Aura to protect the inside. Shattering the exterior he revealed a large fossil. Brushing off the debris and picking it up he handed it to Hinata.

With a smile she took a look at her new fossil, she had felt it calling to her in a way, with her Empath abilities, so she was happy it ended up being a fossil. Hopefully, she would be able to revive it and get a new member for her team.

The man was shocked at the appearance of a fossil from one of his rocks, he had just grabbed random interesting-looking rocks from Mt Moon to sell, as he looked for fossils himself. He had never imagined there would be one inside his 'merchandise'.

Naruto stood up for a moment to pull out his Pokedex, "Adjutant Scan, please," he called out as he leaned over Hinata's shoulder to get a good look at the fossil.

"Of course, Naruto" The Dex made some small noises as it searched various databases for the fossil type. "Jaw fossil, A fossil from a prehistoric Pokémon that once lived on the land. It looks as if it could be a piece of a large jaw. It was discovered in Kalos and can be revived into a Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon."

"A Rock/Dragon-type. That is going to be a nice powerhouse to add to your team Hinata!" Naruto said, as he read the Pokedex entry on Tyrunt. "They seem to be selfish Pokemon though, so you may have a bit of trouble with them getting along." He said as he gave the Pokedex to Hinata so she could see the page.

"I don't mind, I'm sure it'll all work out. I'm glad to have another Pokemon to take care of though, why don't you open yours now Naruto?" Hinata said as she read over the information, her Pokedex wasn't a National one so she doubted she would have this kind of information. Better to take it while she can.

Naruto repeated his method and cracked open the smaller rock, revealing a small black stone. "A Moon Stone!" Naruto said happily, while it wasn't hard to find Moon Stones on _Mt Moon_ , he needed one for his Nidorina so he just saved himself some trouble going to buy one.

He wouldn't evolve Nidorina just yet, she still had a lot of experience to gain, but it was nice to know he had the option available.

The rock salesman interrupted his thoughts, "So you're telling me I just sold a Moon Stone and an extremely rare fossil to a group of strangers for 1,500 Pokedollars?" He said exasperatedly.

Naruto looked up at him with a foxy smile, "You sure did Old Man! Thanks for the rocks! While we are at it, do you think you could give us directions to the Pokemon Center, we have been traveling all morning and would like to take a small break before the Gym Challenge." He said as he stood back up and made the Moon Stone and Hinata's fossil disappear into his magic backpack.

The man just sighed and stood up, "Sure thing I'll just show you the way, it's not like someone is going to steal my rocks while I'm gone."

They all introduced themselves as they went, and learned the man's name was Flint. He showed them around the city, briefly pointing out places of interest as he leads them to the Pokemon Center. A few of them being the Pokemon Center, PokeMart, Gym, and the Pewter Museum of Science, the last of which he said could revive Hinata's new fossil.

As they approached the PokeCenter he waved his goodbyes and left.

Giving their Pokemon to Nurse Joy for a check-up, they rented a room to sit their bags down and decided to strategize for their battle.

Naruto used his Pokedex to gather some information on Brock, a powerful Rock-type Trainer, but not quite at the level of his Father before him, Brock mainly used a Geodude and Onix combo against new Trainers that challenged his Gym. His Pokemon focused on a Rock-solid defense and powerful direct attacks.

Naruto, Leaf, and Hinata all sat down in the room as they rested, going over various battle plans and ideas. They all agreed that Evasion was one of the best ways to go, if his attacks were really that strong, then it'd be better to avoid them entirely right? As for Type-effectiveness, Hinata would have the worst time, her only true advantage being Sneasel. While Sneasel's Ice-type could deal bonus damage to Ground-types, Onix and Geodude, he was also weak to Rock-types so she would have to play carefully if she wanted to win. Her Chansey and Togepi would struggle in the fight, as they only had a disadvantage there.

After a while of strategizing they retrieved their healthy Pokemon from the Center's Nurse Joy, went out to the training grounds behind the Center, and released their teams. Each Trainer had come up with a strategy they intended to use on the Gym Leader so they discussed their plans with their Pokemon.

Naruto released Scylla in the Pool, letting her swim as she pleased, they didn't find a large body of water in the forest, so he was happy to let her have her fun now. His plan for her wasn't very in-depth anyway, it was pretty much just unleash the power of Gyarados on the unsuspecting Gym Leader, if it came down to that. Naturally, he was saving the best for last, and Scylla was definitely the best against a Rock-type Gym.

Serket and Grace had already been perfecting their styles in the forest during their spars, and his plan didn't change them that much. He added some new ideas for Rock-types specifically, and gave them an idea of what they'd be facing. Then, once he was sure his Pokemon understood the 'theory' he sparred with them individually, with himself acting as the Gym Leader's Pokemon. Making sure they knew how to react, he emulated various Rock-type moves as best he could.

Hinata discussed her own strategy with her own Pokemon, she wasn't planning on using Chansey this time, while it would be easier to use Chansey's self-healing ability during the drawn-out battle. She wanted to give Togepi the first Gym, hopefully, it would give her Togepi the push she needed to Evolve, and considering her first Gym Battle was surely going to be the easiest, it would be better to give her some experience now.

She was going to save Sneasel for the Onix, using its ranged Ice attacks to do damage without taking any hits. Her Sneasel knew Icy Wind and Ice Punch so she shouldn't have too much trouble. That was of course, if her Sneasel could dodge most of the attacks Onix threw his way. While she had faith in her Pokemon, she only had Sneasel for a few months now, with minimal training, so she was worried.

She paired Chansey off with Sneasel, having them start a spar. She gave Sneasel instructions to dodge to the best of his ability, and only use ranged attacks, or go in for strikes when he knew it was safe. Chansey, meanwhile, was swapping between ranged Egg Bombs and close range Take Downs, doing her best to hit the elusive Sneasel.

Leaf chose Nuzleaf and Ivysaur, as she had the most experience with those two. While she didn't want to neglect her other Pokemon, they had far less training and it would be better to wait before using them in a Gym Battle. She had used this combination against the majority of the traveling Trainers and it seemed to work extremely well, swapping from Nuzleaf's agile, fast attacking style to Ivysaur's, stationary power-house. It threw off a lot of Trainers along the way, and Leaf even found herself winning against Trainers with Fire-types. It made her extremely proud of her own Pokemon, and they were mastering the style rather quickly.

Leaf's Pokemon already had experience using their style, so instead, she spent the time going over the Gym Leader's Pokemon and what kind of Move-set they could expect. After a while of discussion with her Pokemon, she set them to spar as well.

After the group finished up their planning, they decided to head into the city, first to revive Hinata's new Pokemon, then a Gym Battle.

A quick stop in the Museum to revive the fossil, and Hinata was now a very happy new owner of a female Tyrunt.

* * *

They headed to the Pewter Gym, which looked like a large rock, and went inside.

It was dark, with all of the lights off and the group looked around confused for a moment, until a firm voice called out.

"Who goes there?" A light flashed on, revealing a young man sitting on a large rock on the opposite side of the Gym. Naruto took a minute to appreciate the man's orange long-sleeved shirt, clearly, this guy had style. His outfit was finished off by a pair of green cargo pants, and a set of brown boots. The man had slanted eyes, that you really couldn't tell what color they were, and brown hair that almost rivaled Naruto's with how spikey it was. He was looking at them with a stern expression, combined with the rough voice and spotlight centered on him, created a vibe that would make most new Trainers nervous.

Before any of them could respond, the man seemed to notice to two beauties beside Naruto, and, in an instant, abandoned his intimidating persona. Shooting off the rock like a bullet he dove in front of the two women and reached for their hands. "I have never seen such a vision of perfectio-" He was cut off by a boot to the face courtesy of Naruto and a shoe to the crotch courtesy of Hinata.

The strange man collapsed on the ground with a small whimper. He curled up into a ball and started letting out small sobs. The group could only sweat-drop at the man's strange behavior.

Naruto poked the man on the ground with the tip of his boot. "Hey man, are you okay? You shouldn't jump people like that, they could end up hurting you." He said as he continued to prod the strange man.

The man made an instant recovery, getting to his feet and clearing his throat. "Sorry about that, it was a force of habit. My name is Brock Slate, and I'm the Pewter City Gym Leader, are you here for a battle?"

"Why don't you go first Naruto?" Leaf said before anyone could respond. "I'd like to see how its done before I try." She said, slightly nudging Naruto forward.

"Alright!" Naruto said to Leaf as she pushed him towards the Gym Leader. He turned to Brock, tightened his headband, and thrust his fist out. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, from the Kindom of Rota, and I challenge you to a Gym Battle!

Brock raised an eyebrow at that. While Rota was near Pewter, it was rare to find Pokemon Trainers from there. Most people in Rota tended to keep to themselves, not traveling much. So it was odd to have a challenger from there. "I accept your challenge. How many badges do you have?" Brock questioned.

"This is our first Gym Battle but I'd like to fight your Tier two team, please. I feel that it would be fairer for my team and it would let someone else fight your Tier one after me." He said seriously.

Gym Leaders all have 'Tiered' teams for them to battle various strengths of Trainers. Most have four teams, for Trainers with no badges, two badges, four badges, and six badges. Each 'Tier' has a set amount of Pokemon to be used, sanctioned by the League, and a relative amount of strength. This is so a Trainer that starts in Saffron City, doesn't get destroyed an Alakazam.

Brock looked at him for a moment, before nodding and signaling to an aide. The Gym started shaking, and the two massive garage doors that lined the sides of the Gym's walls opened up. A loud rumbling noise filled the Gym, as a Rock-type Battlefield came sliding out of the doors, and connecting in the center. The raised field sunk into the floor, and it looked as if it was part of the Gym the entire time. The three challengers stood shocked at the Gym's sudden transformation, the Rock-themed building was surprisingly high-tech it seemed.

"This will be a three on three, with substitutions, two badge battle, understood?" Brock called out, snapping them out of their momentary stupor. Seeing the nod given to him by Naruto, both Trainers moved to their respective sides of the field.

Noticing the battle was about to begin, the ladies made their way up the staircase leading to the Spectator's stands. They were both excited about their first Gym Battle but were happy to watch their 'Leader' go first.

"Good luck Naruto!" Hinata called down.

"Crush the Pervert!" Leaf said a bit darker than Hinata's cheerful voice.

Naruto smiled back up at his friends, happy they were cheering him on.

Brock was crying at the unfairness of the world from his side of the field. Clutching his heart from where Leaf's words had cut into it.

"My name is Forrest Slate and I will be the Referee for this match," The Ref said as he stepped forward.

"This will be a three on three Gym Battle, with Naruto Uzumaki, the challenger, versus Brock Slate, the Gym Leader. Trainers call out your first Pokemon."

Naruto took a deep breath. This was where his conquest started, and he wasn't planning on losing a battle at the very first step of the way. He knew his chances of victory were high, especially with Scylla on his team, but he couldn't get overconfident because of that. His mother had ensured to beat every ounce of humility she could into his head, anytime he started to get over his head she would unleash her team against him, and bring him back down to earth. So, he focused. He was going to play every Gym Battle as if it was the hardest battle he'd ever have to face.

He unclipped a Pokeball from his belt and threw it. "Drain them, Serket!" He started with his newest Pokemon. Serket may be new, but she was strong when he caught her. He only had to refine her style, and give her a bit of direction, to really bring out her strength. She would start this battle off right, he had faith in her.

Brock threw his choice at the same moment. "Go Graveler!" He called out a Pokemon that resembled a large boulder with four arms.

"Begin!" The Ref called, and the match started.

Naruto didn't waste any time, "Use Toxic Spikes, Serket!"

A Dark purple orb formed in Serket's mouth, she fired into the air and the ball split into four smaller orbs, fell back to the ground and sunk below the battlefield. The opposing Graveler became surrounded in purple static, and the ground glowed slightly as it was Poisoned.

Brock launched his counter-attack. "Use Rock Throw, Graveler!"

The Graveler ignored the biting pain coming from the status effect and released multiple rocks from its body, sending them flying toward its opponent.

"Double Team, Serket!" Just as the rocks were about to make contact, Nidorina split into a dozen copies, the center clone shimmering out of existence as the rocks flew through it.

Naruto smirked at his Pokemon's swift reaction, "Now Supersonic!" He commanded, hoping to give Serket a massive advantage from the start.

"No, Graveler! Dodge!" Brock yelled as he saw all of the copies start to fire Supersonic.

But Graveler couldn't make out the real Serket and was hit by the Supersonic. Graveler lost control of its body, and started stumbling around the battlefield, attempting to regain its footing.

The battle was heavily in Naruto's favor, with Graveler being Poisoned and Confused, but it wasn't over yet. Graveler is a Rock/Ground type and like all Ground-types he is a bad match up for Serket, being strong against her type. Naturally, since this is a three on three, he would most likely have to use Serket regardless, so he started with her. Hoping to get an easy opponent in the first round, his plan was to whittle them down with Poison and ranged attacks, it would be slow and annoying, but it would work.

Right now he needed to take advantage of the Confusion. "Poison Sting," He said simply as he thought about his opponent's next move.

Serket opened her mouth and fired a volley of Poisoned needles at the stumbling opponent.

"Enough of this! Graveler use Magnitude!" Brock said irritated.

The Graveler braced itself and took the Poison Sting head on, using the pain to shake off the Confusion. "Gravel-er!" It roared as it prepared its attack. It focused for a moment before glowing a dull brown and stomping one of its legs on the ground. The ground shook and quaked, vanishing all of the copies and doing significant damage to the Nidorina.

Brock was glad he had landed a blow, and hoped to keep the momentum, "Use Rollout before she recovers!"

Naruto internally winced as his Pokemon took a high Magnitude, but wouldn't allow it to show on his face. Serket won't give the opponent an inch and neither will he.

"Serket, prepare Double Kick," Naruto said as he focused on the match. Rollout would start out weak, but would be powerful if he allowed it to build up. He needed to stop it immediately.

Naruto and Serket both watched closely as the Graveler curled into a ball and started bounding toward Serket with incredible speed, he ramped off a small rock and flew above the Nidorina, intending to crush her.

"Now Serket! Send him flying," Naruto commanded.

Serket dove forward, just slightly in front of the Graveler's landing zone, and dung her front legs into the ground. Pushing off as hard as she could, she lashed out with her hind legs. A powerful Double Kick, landed on the back of the Graveler, combined with the momentum of the Rollout, sent Graveler flying toward the back of the Arena, where he crashed into a wall. The crash kicked up enough dust to obstruct their view of the Pokemon.

Brock crossed his arms and looked over to the wall that Graveler had just flown into. He had faith in his Pokemon, and knew Graveler wasn't done yet.

Naruto seemed to notice this as well, and watched the cloud carefully, he could use his Aura Sight, but considering Brock couldn't, and likely didn't even know Naruto was a Guardian, it would feel like cheating. So instead he simply warned his Pokemon.

"Be on guard Serket, I don't think this is over yet."

Serket narrowed her eyes and tenses her body, ready to move at a moment's notice. The Graveler was strong, she could tell, but if her Trainer was telling her to be careful, then she knew to prepare for an attack.

Sure enough, a few moments later, the Graveler came barreling out of the dust using an even _faster_ Rollout. She was ready for it though and jumped to her left quickly, letting the Graveler fly past her side. She didn't have a second to rest, as the Graveler was already spinning around and heading toward her again. She dodged a few more attacks narrowly, but Graveler was still gaining speed. It was becoming harder for her to stay safe, she needed to stop him now. Luckily her Trainer knew this as well.

Naruto was biting his lip as he watched Serket do her best to avoid the Rollout, he needed to stop it before the Graveler got lucky. "Serket, get some distance and use Venoshock!"

Serket heard her Trainer, and narrowly dodged another run from the Rollout. Using the opportunity, she ran quickly in the direction opposite of the Graveler's path. Spinning around, she saw that Graveler had just turned around and was heading toward her, fast. She prepared her attack, with such a straight path there was no way she could miss.

Brock gasped as he saw what the Pokemon was doing, and tried to stop his Pokemon. "Graveler, stop and use Defense Curl!"

But it was too late. Graveler already had too much momentum built up, and stopping would be impossible. Serket opened her mouth, and fired a large stream of purple, poisonous liquid toward the incoming Graveler. The liquid drenched the Graveler, doing double damage due to the Poison status the Pokemon was already inflicted with.

No one could really tell if it was the Graveler just pushing through the pain, or if he simply couldn't change his course, but even coated in the liquid Poison, the Graveler kept his Rollout going. A moment later he was crashing into Serket, all the force of the Graveler's gained momentum, doing massive damage to the Nidorina.

"Nido!" Serket cried out as the attack rolled over her, the Graveler continuing for a moment before crashing into one of the field's large rocks. She shook off the attack as best she could, and scrambled to her feet.

Naruto internally cheered for his Pokemon as she got back to her feet, and started his finisher. "Use Supersonic one more time!"

Serket complied, once again launching its supersonic voice at the Graveler. The attack landed easily, since Graveler was still getting to his feet. The Confusion status set in instantly, making it hard for the Graveler to maintain its balance as it got to its feet.

"Graveler snap out of it and use Rock Throw!" Brock yelled.

Graveler tried to respond to its Trainer's command, but couldn't find its focus. "Gravvv" It slurred as it shook and stumbled.

"Get in close and use Double Kick!" Naruto commanded, he knew this was the end now, he could feel it.

Serket rushed in, jumping into the air. She came down hard on top of the Graveler, both feet glowing, as it landed a vicious Double Kick. The super effective move, assisted by gravity, plowed Graveler back into the ground. Serket used the Graveler as a springboard, and jumped back in front of Naruto.

Brock was worried for his Pokemon as he knew it was on its last legs. "Hang in there Graveler!"

The Pokemon's stubbornness surprised everyone as they saw the Graveler get back to his feet, despite its injuries.

Naruto glanced across the field for a moment, to look at his opponent. Brock stood tall with his arms still crossed, he was frowning as he looked at his Pokemon's injuries, but Naruto could tell he wasn't going to surrender. So he called out his final move. "Serket end this! Venoshock!"

Graveler was holding up well, all injuries considered, but he was too far gone to dodge the large stream of poisoned liquid that flew towards him from Serket. As the attack connected, Graveler crashed into the ground yet again, kicking up smoke as everyone watched closely.

Brock couldn't believe his eyes. The majority of Brock's challengers were rookies, usually failing on their first attempt because they got overconfident and tried to challenge him with a Pidgey or something. When Naruto threw out a Poison-type, he expected the same thing to happen. It was clear now that he was the one who had underestimated his opponent and now he was paying for it.

Both Trainers watched as the smoke cleared, revealing a fainted Graveler.

"Graveler is unable to battle! The first round goes to the challenger. Gym Leader send out your next Pokemon." The Ref said.

Brock recalled his Pokemon and whispered his thanks to the fallen Graveler. He'd need to take this battle much more seriously if he was going to win.

"Go Onix!"

He threw out one of his Onix, his family had a few to match the various strengths his tiered teams would provide. This one was slightly stronger than the one he usually fought with, and strong enough to do some serious damage to this challenger's team.

The Onix let out a loud roar when it found itself surrounded by purple static emanating from the ground. The Toxic Spikes did their job, and poisoned Onix.

"Return Serket," Naruto commanded, and Serket ran over to him, nuzzling into his leg.

Naruto leaned down to rub her head, careful not to brush her injuries. "That was an amazing job Serket!"

Serket happily accepted the praise, leaning further into his touch. _"Thanks, Naruto, I did my best for you."_ A soft voice echoed in his mind.

Smiling down at his Pokemon, "Why don't you rest up for a while? Grace is itching for a fight and she'd be pretty mad if you defeated them all by yourself." He said with a laugh.

 _"Can I stay outside? I'd like to see Grace fight if you don't mind, we trained together for this after all."_ Serket said in the Bond, as she laid down at his feet.

"Of course," He said as he reached for the next ball on his belt. They started out the battle strong, and he knew Grace would keep up the pace. Hopefully, they could finish this with a flawless win.

"Strike them down, Grace!" He called out his starter.

Grace stood proudly on the field, watching her opponent carefully. The Onix roared loudly at its opponent, but Grace simply glared back, as she prepared for battle.

"Round two start!" The Ref said as he saw both Trainers were ready.

"Use Dig Onix!" Brock commanded immediately, taking the first move.

Naruto crossed his arms and closed his eyes, turning on his Aura Sight to view underneath the arena. "Sense him and use Counter, Grace."

Grace followed her Master's command, her eyes glowed blue with Aura and the appendages on her head flared to life. She watched carefully as Onix tunneled toward her.

As it burst from the ground, she jumped back enough to dodge and lashed out with her Counter. Striking the Onix in the side. Already rearing her other arm back, she foresaw her Master's intentions.

"Power-up Punch," He said simply.

And she responded immediately, striking the Onix once more as it roared in pain. She was covered in a dark red aura as the move increased her attack.

"Use Bulldoze!" Brock commanded,

The Onix slammed its tail on the ground, sending a shockwave toward Grace, who was too close to dodge. A direct hit, sent her stumbling back as she tried to keep her balance.

"Now Rock Throw!"

"Counter with Aura Sphere,"

Rocks launched by Onix were met by Aura Sphere launched by Grace, as both opponents kept up their attacks. The arena was quickly covered in dust, obscuring both from view.

"Use Bulldoze again," Brock commanded hoping to get a hit in while visibility made it hard to dodge.

"Use Detect, then Bone Rush," Naruto said.

Grace used the Detect to jump over the shockwave, and then charge into the dust cloud, preparing a Bone Rush along the way. Getting in close, Grace elegantly began a dance of blows around the Onix, striking whenever she could while avoiding getting hit.

"Rock Tomb!"

The Onix became cloaked in white energy, several rocks from the battlefield started to glow and rise above its head and take the shape of a ring. The glow vanishes, and the rocks crash into Grace.

"Get some distance and use Laser Focus!"

Grace shook off the pain from the attack and jumped back toward Naruto's side of the field. She closed her eyes and focused her Aura, covering her body in a glowing red outline.

Brock seized the chance, "Use Bulldoze while she's standing still!"

Onix fired off another shockwave.

"Take it and use Aura Sphere!"

Grace charged up an Aura Sphere as the shockwave approached, using her Laser Focus she honed in on a weak point she could spot. Just as the shockwave hit her, she fired. She winced as the super-effective attack hit her, and was knocked over by the force.

The Aura Sphere flew fast, and crashed into the Onix before he could react. The type advantage, combined with Laser Focus did massive damage, and the Onix roared in pain. The combination proved too much for the Rock-type and it collapsed, unconscious.

Grace got back up on her feet, still going strong. She was covered in minor cuts, and seemed to be panting, but looked ready for more.

"Onix is unable to battle, Lucario is the winner. Gym Leader send out your final Pokemon."

Brock recalled his Onix and stared at the Ball for a moment. The battle was looking hopeless at this point, his Onix was taken down almost effortlessly. The only real damaging moves he could use against Lucario were Ground-type. Naruto had already shown how he could not only dodge the predictable attacks, but also how his Pokemon could take them and shake it off. He looked across the field at his challenger. He had technically already won the badge, as it was normally a two on two battle, and the only reason the battle was still going on was because, Naruto had specifically asked for a bigger challenge. Regardless, Brock's last Pokemon was a Golem, and he doubted he could provide that challenge with it.

"Naruto what is your last Pokemon?" Brock suddenly asked.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "A Gyarados, why?"

Brock paled, "I forfeit," He said to the Ref, "You still have all three Pokemon remaining, and with the Toxic Spikes still on the field, I doubt I could defeat them all before the Poison drained my last Pokemon. Not to mention a Gyarados..." Brock trailed off as he shook his head.

"Brock Slate has forfeited, Naruto is the winner." The Ref called.

Brock walked over to their side of the field and presented the Boulder Badge to Naruto. "You earned this, you managed to counter most of my attacks and respond with even more power. I rarely get such a great battle out of my challengers, well done."

Naruto laughed as he rubbed the back of his head, "Thanks it was a lot of fun," He said as he noticed Grace walking over to him. "You had fun too right Grace?"

She nodded, "Indeed, the Onix provided a nice challenge."

Brock was startled, "Your Pokemon can talk?!"

"Yeah Grace is a badass like that," Naruto said with a big smile.

"Naruto!" Leaf said as she ran down from the spectator's stands. "That was amazing," She said as she suddenly dove forward and wrapped him up in a hug.

Naruto was surprised, that Leaf would initiate a hug, but wasn't going to complain. Ignoring the sobbing coming from the Gym Leader, he hugged her back.

Leaf blushed and separated from him when she realized what she was doing. "Serket was so awesome! How'd you work together so well? You just caught her a couple weeks ago! And Grace was so strong too! She beat down that Onix like it was nothing!" Leaf started babbling again, and Naruto knew he'd have to stop her or she would go on forever. So leaning down, he gave her a peck on the cheek, shutting her up instantly as she turned red.

"My Pokemon are just that awesome!" He said, as he puffed his chest out in pride.

Leaf decided to run away to hide her embarrassment, and went to congratulate Grace on her victory. Walking over to where Grace and Serket were getting healed by Hinata, she said "That was an amazing battle Grace! You did so well. You too Serket that was awesome!"

Grace nodded in thanks for the praise, "Will you be battling next Leaf? I would be interested in seeing how far Ivysaur has come,"

Leaf looked over to Hinata, silently asking a question. "You can go first, Leaf," Hinata smiled as Leaf looked at her, "I wanted to wait a bit longer for my fight anyway, I think Togepi will be Evolving soon." She said as she thought about her Partner, it usually didn't take long for a Partnered Togepi to Evolve. Since they Evolved using their bond with the Trainers, Aura Guardians had a major advantage there.

Leaf nodded happily, and ran back over to challenge Brock. After the Gym leader agreed, and her two companions went up to the spectator's stands, the battle was ready to begin again. She knew she wasn't prepared to fight the Pokemon Naruto had, as her Pokemon weren't quite as developed as her friend's, but that was fine, she had just started her Journey and had plenty of time. For now, she would just focus on getting her first Badge.

"This will be a two on two Gym Battle, with Leaf Green, the challenger, versus Brock Slate, the Gym Leader. Trainers call out your first Pokemon." The Ref said, as he set up the next battle.

Leaf clenched her fists as she thought about her first pick, Naruto didn't lose his match so she couldn't either. Grabbing a ball from her belt, she decided to stick to the same strategy she had used earlier that day.

"Start us off, Nuzleaf!"

"Go Geodude!"

In a flash, a small rock-looking Pokemon with two large arms appeared, "Geo-Geodude!" It said as it smashed its fists together in an attempt to intimidate its opponent.

Nuzleaf smirked, and didn't look fazed at all. The two opponents traded glares as they waited for their Trainers to command them.

"Are both Trainers ready?" Seeing confirmation from them, the Ref started the match. "Begin!"

"Sunny Day," Leaf commanded immediately.

Hearing the command, the aide monitoring the battle pressed a button on a computer console. With a loud mechanical rumbling, the roof of the Gym slowly split in half and opened up, revealing a bright blue sky. The sunlight intensified, as Nuzleaf launched its move, and Leaf's Pokemon glowed signifying the speed boost gained thanks to its ability Chlorophyll.

"Use Rock Throw!" The Geodude sent a large boulder hurling at the Nuzleaf, who wasn't prepared enough to dodge. The rock crashed into the Grass-type dealing damage as Nuzleaf was thrown back. The Geodude didn't let up and went for another rock, as Nuzleaf tried to recover.

"Razor Leaf!"

Nuzleaf returned fire with a volley of razor sharp green leaves, cutting through the next rock and battering the Geodude.

Brock frowned, and called out to his Pokemon, "Use Defense Curl!"

The Geodude hardened itself and withstood the barrage, protecting itself from some of the damage.

"Rollout," The Geodude curled into a ball and shot off, bounding across the battlefield, as it tried its best to hit the fast Grass-type.

"Dodge it, use the rocks on the field!" Leaf commanded her Pokemon.

Nuzleaf used his enhanced speed, and ducked behind some of the rocks that littered the battlefield. The Geodude kept his momentum, and tried to swing around to hit the Grass-type, but Nuzleaf used his superior agility to keep dodging behind rocks, and making the Geodude try to maneuver around the battlefield.

Leaf watched proudly as her Pokemon expertly dodged his pursuer, but they had to make a move eventually. "Hop up on a large rock and use Grassy Terrian!"

The Nuzleaf jumped on top of the largest rock on the field, out of reach of the circling Geodude, and focused. Suddenly a bright green ring of energy pulsed from the Nuzleaf, and flew across the ground. The battlefield sprouted greenery, and the previously rocky-terrain was now covered in a fresh layer of grass. Boosting Nuzleaf's Grass-type moves and giving him slight regeneration.

Brock crossed his arms and another frown formed on his face as he looked at his gym battlefield this girl had made her own, "A good effort, but a bit of grass won't save you! Now Geodude hit them!"

The Geodude heard his Trainer's command and, taking a trick from the Graveler before him, ramped up one of the grass-covered rocks, getting just high enough to crash into Nuzleaf, sending them both flying off the rock, as they smashed into the ground. Both Pokemon got back off the ground, injured but not out of the fight yet.

"Razor Leaf again!" The Nuzleaf launched another volley of leaves.

"Dodge and use Smack Down!" The Geodude gathers a golden orb of energy between its large hands, and prepares its attack.

"Use Harden to take it, then use Nature Power!"

Nuzleaf cloaked itself in a white aura as it hardened its muscles and raised its defense. The golden orb flew forward and crashed into him, but he stood his ground and prepared his own Energy Ball. The green orb took shape quickly, boosted by the Grassy Terrain, and he launched it quickly at his foe.

"Geooo" It cried as it took a direct hit from the super-effective move. Boosted by the Grassy Terrain it did significant damage. The Geodude reeled back from the blast, but still got back up with determination in his eyes.

Brock smiled at his Pokemon's resilience, he prided himself in his defense, and Geodude had plenty. "Stay strong Geodude! Use Rock Tomb!"

Leaf knew the dangers of that attack, and tried to save her Pokemon. "No! Nuzleaf dodge it! Quickly!"

Nuzleaf tried his best to get out of range, but it was no use.

"Geooo-Dudeee!" The Geodude cried as it slammed its fists on the ground as hard as it could. The battlefield shook for a moment, before four triangular rocks burst out from under the Nuzleaf, pinning him at the top of a pyramid of stone.

"Nuzzz" He whimpered as the rocks dug into his stomach, the upper half of his body still above the pyramid. He wiggled and pushed off the rocks, but couldn't break free.

"Let's end this! Stone Edge!" Brock called out his most powerful attack.

Leaf widened her eyes and balled her fists at the command, Stone Edge would likely end this battle and her Nuzleaf was trapped. Nuzleaf had no moves that could help him escape from the Rock Tomb, but she couldn't let him take that hit, "Nuzleaf break free! Please!" She pleaded, and Nuzleaf doubled his efforts, launching a Razor Leaf at the base of the rocks he tried his best to free himself. Unfortunately, the leaves did nothing to the trap, and he was left clawing at it, fruitlessly.

The Geodude slammed his fists on the ground once more, and begun to glow with a silver sheen. At least a dozen rocks across the battlefield glowed alongside him, and floated into the air. The rocks flew to Geodude and revolved around him in a large ring, the glow faded and the rocks turned a dull grey, before launching at their trapped opponent.

As the rocks flew toward him, Nuzleaf despaired at the cries from his Trainer, and as he watched the rocks draw closer, he felt an unfamiliar energy forming in his body. He could tell it felt far different from his normal Grass-type attacks, but his body responded on its own, reacting to the strange feeling. He focused on the energy, and his body took on a black aura, he could feel it building up quickly, and he instinctively knew what to do.

The Trainers watched as Nuzleaf vanished from his rocky prison, the Stone Edge crashing uselessly into an empty Rock Tomb. Instantly, Nuzleaf reappeared behind the Geodude, and lashed out with dark energy before his opponent could react. "Nuzzz-Leaf!" He cried, striking the Geodude in the back, hard.

The Geodude collapsed from the unexpected attack with a low groan. After a moment on the ground, it slowly raised itself back up.

Both Pokemon were battered and bruised, and seemed to be on their last legs. Nuzleaf was covered in cuts from the various rocks it was pelted with, and bruised from the impacts. While Geodude, was scratched and cut from the Razor Leaves, and was having trouble keeping itself upright. Both Pokemon were breathing hard as they glared at each other, neither willing to be the first one to fall.

Leaf couldn't quite contain her happiness with her Pokemon and bounced a bit on the spot, pumping a fist in the air as she called out, "You _rock_ Nuzleaf!" Everyone did their best to ignore the pun, "You learned an attack mid-battle! You're so awesome!" She praised.

Nuzleaf, while tired, still smirked under the praise and glared harder at the opposing Geodude.

Brock crossed his arms again as he looked at the state of the Pokemon on the field, "I admit, I'm impressed, you're the first one to escape Rock Tomb without getting hit first, that Faint Attack was unexpected, but the battle isn't over yet! I think we can both see our Pokemon are ready to finish this, so let's end it with one last attack." He said as he planned his next move.

Leaf nodded along with his words, and they both called out their last move. "Use Nature Power Nuzleaf!" She commanded, taking advantage of the Grassy Terrain to hopefully overpower her opponent.

Brock sent out a final attack, "Use Smack Down one more time!"

Both Pokemon prepared their attacks, a golden orb in Geodude's arms, and a bright green orb in Nuzleaf's. They launched them both at the same time, flying past each other and crashing into the opposite Pokemon.

Everyone in the gym watched with bated breath as an explosion went off, covering the arena in a large dust cloud once more.

The smoke slowly cleared out, and they all saw Geodude collapsed, with swirls in its eyes. Nuzleaf, on the other hand, had fallen to one knee and was clutching his side, he was bruised badly, and covered in dirt from the blast. But he still shakily pulled himself back to his feet, stumbling for a moment, before finally gaining his balance and glaring defiantly at the fallen Geodude.

"Nuzleaf!" He let out a triumphant cry.

"Geodude is unable to battle, the first round goes to the challenger!" The Ref declared.

Brock recalled his Geodude with a small smile, "That was a great fight, thank you" He said as he put away his Pokemon.

Leaf recalled her Nuzleaf as well, looking at the ball proudly, "You were so awesome Nuzleaf! Take a rest, you earned it." She said as she pulled out her next Pokemon.

"Trainers call out your next Pokemon."

Leaf threw first, "Finish this for us, Ivysaur!"

Brock threw out his own starter, "Go Onix!"

The massive rock-snake let out a powerful roar as it entered the battlefield. Ivysaur glared back proudly, already prepared for this fight. Leaf had walked him through her strategy already, and he could feel Nuzleaf had already given him the tools to win. All he needed to do now was make everything go smoothly, and follow his Trainer's commands.

"Round two, Ivysaur versus Onix, Begin!" The Ref started the match.

"Solar Beam," Leaf started off.

Neither Gym Leader or his Pokemon were prepared for the instantaneous beam of light that bombarded Onix a short moment after the command was given. The Ivysaur had used the Sunny Day to charge to the Solar Beam as fast as possible, not giving Onix a chance to move. Firing immediately, the green-energy beam tore across the battlefield viciously and crashed directly into the massive Rock-type.

Onix let out another loud roar as the beam did massive damage to its body, enhanced by the Sunny Day and the Grassy Terrain, it was a powerful combination, and Onix was feeling its effects.

Brock was in shock, he had never expected such a powerful attack to be charged so quickly but how-? Then it hit him, the first thing she did was make Nuzleaf use Sunny Day, was she planning this from the start? Combined with the Grassy Terrain, she really did think ahead in this battle. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, right now he needed to deal with the battle. "Onix use Tackle!" He called out, hoping to get in close.

The Onix shook off the pain and quickly dove across the battlefield, showing surprising agility for such a large Pokemon. He was on top of the Ivysaur before it could react, and the Onix slammed his body into it.

The Ivysaur went down quickly, letting out a large groan "Saauur,"

"Now use Bind before it gets back up!" Brock yelled from his side of the field as he watched the battle closely.

The snake instantly responded, wrapping Ivysaur up in its rocky-body, and slowly squeezing it. The Ivysaur was trapped between the massive stones that made up Onix's body, the pressure doing damage, as it squirmed and tried to break free.

Leaf wasn't going to take it lying down, and came up with a counter, "Ivysaur use Sleep Powder!"

Ivysaur stopped its squirming, and launched its blue cloud of powder directly into Onix's face. He felt the Onix slacken and sway as it tried to stay awake. Crawling out of the Onix's body so he didn't get crushed, Ivysaur returned to his side of the field, as Onix collapsed.

Brock let his worry show on his face as his partner went down, "Onix wake up!" He shouted, but didn't seem to have any effect on his sleeping Pokemon.

Leaf happily clapped her hands together, she knew she had just won. "Wrap it up in a Leech Seed nice and tight!" She said with a big grin.

Ivysaur complied, firing its Leech Seed and wrapping the sleeping Onix up in the mess of vines.

"Now wake it up with a Vine Whip, and then fire another Solar Beam!"

Ivysaur smacked the Onix twice across its head, hard enough to make the sound echo throughout the Gym. Its sleep disturbed, the Onix opened its eyes just in time to see a smirking Ivysaur dig its feet into the dirt, leaning forward to aim an already glowing Solar Beam. Onix didn't even have time to try to escape its bonds before Ivysaur fired.

The beam made a direct impact on the already wounded Onix, and the large Pokemon let out another roar as the blast enveloped it. A few moments later a loud thud resounded through the Gym, as the large body of Onix fell back over, unconscious.

Silence filled the Gym as everyone stared at the defeated Rock-type. No one had expected the massive Rock Snake Pokemon to be defeated that easily, even Leaf had made additional plans, expecting it to last much longer. But it was a testament to just how vicious that combo was, that the Onix could only take two blasts before going down. Considering Onix had a double weakness to Grass just made it even worse.

The silence was broken by uproarious laughter coming from the spectator's stands. The people on the field looked up to see Naruto holding his sides as he tried and failed to contain his laughter. He couldn't help it, not only did Leaf _destroy_ that Onix, but she also felt the need to wake it up _just_ long enough for it to see its impending doom. That was something he'd expect from Hinata, so seeing it from Leaf made him laugh, hard.

With the silence broken, the Ref snapped back into reality and called the match. Leaf ignored him for the moment, and hopped down to the field to run over to her Pokemon. She gave Ivysaur another big hug and started singing his praises as she kneeled on the grass.

Brock shook himself out of his stupor and recalled his Onix, thanking him for battling. He had been defeated by Bulbasaur and their Evolutions before, but never quite that quickly. And this was from a rookie trainer, to say he was surprised was a massive understatement. But still, a win is a win, so he headed over and handed her the Boulder Badge.

"Congratulations, you earned this, you turned my gym into your own playground and blew past my rock-solid defense easily. I don't think Onix has had such a quick defeat since the last time a challenger threw out a Gyarados. Well done." He said nodding to the excited girl.

Leaf took the Badge happily, and immediately turned and showed it to Naruto and Hinata, who just made it down from the spectator's stands. "Look guys! I won!" She said bounding over to them.

Naruto saw a chance to pay her back for earlier, and picked her up in a big hug. She let out a cute "Eeep!" as he scooped her up and spun her around, "That was awesome Leaf! I knew you could do it!" He said as he set her down, but didn't let go.

Leaf was rapidly turning red, and hid her face in his chest to hide her embarrassment. Wrapping her own arms around him, she enjoyed the moment.

"Congratulations Leaf," The soft voice of Hinata came from behind her, and she suddenly felt another warm body press up against her back. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, she felt Hinata's large breasts pressing against her.

Leaf went still as she was pinned between her two traveling companions, and found herself enjoying the hug, despite her embarrassment. Naruto leaned down and rubbed his whiskers into her cheek with a light purr, and his hands made small circles on her lower back. Hinata nuzzled her head into the other side of her neck, and started stroking her stomach.

Leaf couldn't help but let out a small moan as she was double-teamed. Her heart started pounding in her chest, and she did her best to calm herself down. She had expected this from Naruto, knowing how physically affectionate he was, and she couldn't deny being attracted to him. But Hinata?! That came totally out of the blue, and surprisingly she found herself enjoying it. The signs were there, she supposed, Hinata always had a satisfied look in her eyes whenever Naruto would get physical with her, and never really looked bothered by it. But she never expected Hinata to join in on it! While it was a little overwhelming, she found herself relaxing into the arms of her two companions.

Their little moment was interrupted, however, by a resident pervert. "What a beautiful group hug!" Brock cried as he leaped toward them, intent on joining in. He was stopped by a shoe to the face courtesy of Hinata, and a boot to the crotch courtesy of Naruto. For the second time that day, he collapsed to the floor like a puppet with his strings cut. The group ignored the sobbing coming from the fallen Gym Leader and separated their hug.

Naruto turned to Hinata, who still had a gentle smile on her face, "Are you going next Hinata?"

Hinata put a finger on her chin and hmm'd in thought, "I think I'll wait until tomorrow, I'm sure Brock needs to heal his Pokemon, and I want to get some last minute training done." She said.

"Alright then let's head back to the Center, and get our Pokemon healed up, then we can use the rest of the day to train!" Naruto said and spun on his heels, already marching out the door. The ladies, following quickly behind.

The quietly sobbing Gym Leader on the floor, was completely forgotten.

* * *

As they returned to the Pokecenter, Naruto and Leaf gave their Pokemon to Nurse Joy to heal. Telling her they had just returned from a successful trip to the Gym.

Naruto was ready to sit and talk while they waited for their Pokemon to be healed, so that they could get to training already. But Hinata had a different idea, and pulled Leaf aside for some 'Girl talk'. Naruto wasn't stupid, being raised around a female majority, and he knew 'Girl talk' was code for 'You're not invited'. More importantly than that, he knew to leave the ladies alone when they went off to talk about whatever it was. So he settled for lounging around the PokeCenter's waiting area.

He was currently engrossed in a 'What's Happening' News Report discussing the latest news in Sinnoh. It seemed there was some rising star, taking the Gyms by storm. _'Hmm, she's a fellow blonde, maybe I'll get to meet her one day'_ He thought as he looked at the picture of the young woman. She seemed to be in her early twenties, and was very attractive. What really impressed him, was that the woman had taken out eight Gyms, in just over one month, only using a single Pokemon. It was a Garchomp, and while it _was_ a pseudo-legendary, that made it no less impressive.

He was distracted by the buzzing and quiet ringing of his X-Transceiver. Looking away from the television, he glanced down at the device. He saw the face of one of the more well-known Knights calling him, Sir Riley. Riley was one of the few Knights stationed in a different region, and considering his last mission shipped him even _further_ than he normally was, Naruto hadn't seen him in a quite a while. Whenever Riley was at the Order HQ, they hit it off pretty well, Riley was a pretty laid back guy, although very serious about his Guardian duties. He was one, if not the only, male friend Naruto had growing up, and so he was happy to hear from him again. It helped that Riley was only a few years older than himself.

Answering the call with a big smile, he saw the face of Riley appear on the other side. Riley was dressed in his usual Aura Guardian suit, definitely one of the fanciest of the Aura Guardian outfits. He made it work though, looking nice without seeming overly dressed. The Order had no real 'Uniform' it was pretty much just wear whatever you want, as long as it has black and blue in it and the Order's Crest somewhere visible. Most tended to dress nice still, as they were representing the Order, and for some reason, almost everyone wore the slanted signature hat. Minus Naruto, of course, his headband was _way_ cooler.

"Sir Riley," He said with a nod, while they were friends he had to stay professional at least until he learned what the call was about.

"Grandmaster," Riley said with a slightly teasing tone knowing how Naruto didn't like titles. "I'm not calling on Order business, more personal really," Riley said as he nearly laughed watching Naruto immediately lose all the tension in his body and slink into his chair.

Naruto relaxed a bit, and smiled happily at his friend, "That's good, I wasn't really looking forward to an emergency right now. I just finished up with the first Gym in Kanto, and I'm waiting for Grace to be healed right now." He said as he leaned back into his chair, propping up his head with one of his hands.

Riley smiled, "I'm glad you are doing well, and I trust Grace is still training hard? I swear, she is the only one to last longer than my own Partner whenever we start training." He said as he recalled the sort of rivalry Grace had with his own Lucario. It wasn't rare for the Guardians who had Partners to train together or pair off for spars. Sometimes they even formed small competitions or tournaments to push themselves further.

"Still, I did call you for a reason. Firstly, I wanted to apologize for missing the ceremony, I was recalled of course, with the rest of the Order, but I couldn't make it back in time. My last mission was in Alola, I'm sure you've heard of it considering how famous the recent discoveries are there." Riley went on to explain. Naruto had heard. Alola was a series of Islands just south-west of Unova, it has a bit of an isolated culture, and a unique climate. It seems the strange climate there cause many well-known Pokemon to adapt, changing in form and type drastically. It made a large wave in the Pokemon Research community when Alola was inducted into the Pokemon League. Researchers became closer than ever across the regions as they globally discussed the implications.

Seeing Naruto's understanding look, Riley went on, "The mission was to capture a violent Pokemon, the Trainers there couldn't seem to defeat it, and the Rangers haven't set up a base there. The mission was easy enough, and I got a new member of my team out of it. However, the only way out of Alola is by plane or Flying Pokemon, neither of which I had available when I was recalled, so I missed the Ceremony, unfortunately." Riley finished.

Naruto gave him a big smile, "No worries at all, I know how badly timed some missions can be. So what Pokemon did you get? I've heard some of the Pokemon over there are really weird." Naruto said as he vaguely remembered some reports about different typed Pokemon.

Riley got a proud smile as he thought about his new team member, "It was an Incineroar, the final Evolution of Alola's regional starters, and a powerful one, if the Professor's reaction was anything to go by. When I battled him, he took down my first Pokemon rather quickly. Although, I admit I was unprepared for it. I ended up having to use my Poliwrath to take him down. Unfortunately, I didn't end up finding out what enraged the Pokemon." Riley said with a small frown, then his expression turned serious. "I did end up bumping into a criminal organization in Alola, they call themselves Team Skull, I suggest you read my report whenever you have a moment. It is rather interesting, they don't seem to be much trouble now, I would say they are the weakest of the criminal organizations so far, more of a band of thugs, honestly." Riley ended with a thoughtful look.

Naruto hummed in thought, if _Riley_ was being pretty casual about it then they must not be nearly as bad as Team Rocket when it comes to crime. He made a mental note to ask his Mother for Riley's report. Knowledge was half the battle after all.

Getting back on track, Riley shifted the conversation to a lighter topic. "Now, for the second reason, I called. During my mission in Alola, I had a bit of a hiccup, the Incineroar had badly damaged an alcove that Pokemon had been living in. One of the Pokemon I had found there, had been made homeless and was severely injured. Luckily, none died," Riley mollified his friend when he saw Naruto's expression darken.

"But I had to capture this one as well to save it in time. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but I'm sure you remember my team is heavily Attack-based. This Pokemon wouldn't fit with them and when I saw it, I immediately thought of you. So I'd like you to take it off my hands, if you will. You can take it as an apology for missing the ceremony as well." Riley said, with a small smile as he saw Naruto's face light up. Naruto loved Pokemon, and the chance to get a Pokemon from a far away region wasn't lost on the blonde.

Naruto smiled again, while normally he was pretty picky about his team, if it was a gift from Riley then he didn't have to worry. The man was just as bad as him when it came to choosing team members, and if Riley was going to vouch for this Pokemon then Naruto knew it'd be a powerful addition to his team. "Hell yeah! Is it an Alolan Pokemon? Which kind? No, What type?" Naruto's excitement was clear to see.

Riley laughed off his questions, "Nope! Where would be the fun in that? It wouldn't be much of a present if I told you about it beforehand." Riley laughed again when he saw his friend's face fall. "Don't worry, you won't have to wait long. You said you're in a Pokemon Center right? Why don't you ask Nurse Joy if you can borrow the Transfer Device, and I'll send it over immediately."

Naruto did just that. Hopping to his feet and asking the Joy in the Center, he quickly got permission and headed over to the Transfer Device. "I'm sending you the ID for the Pewter City Transfer, where are you, Riley?" Naruto asked as he set up the device on his end.

"I'm back at HQ, I just got back today actually. I gave my report to your Mother and she suggested I give you a call immediately so I did. I was planning on calling you for the Pokemon anyway." Riley said as they connected the Devices. A moment later and the Transfer had started.

"Transfering Pokeballs from Cameran Palace to Pewter City Pokemon Center... Complete" The device said, as a blue and black Guardian Pokeball appeared on the tray.

Naruto grabbed the ball and held it up to show Riley, "Got it! Thanks a lot, Riley! Should I scan it or should I just release it here?" Naruto said as he walked back to the resting area.

Riley understood what he was asking, "It's about the size of a Riolu, you can release it now if you want. It's safe." Obviously, if it was something like a Wailord, it would end horribly if he tried to release it indoors.

Naruto got back to his seat, and happily released the mysterious new Pokemon onto the table. He hadn't seen much of Alola's regional Pokemon so he was excited to see what it was.

"Vulpix!" A soft cry reached his ears, he looked at the table to see a cute snow-white fox. Its fur was curled up on its head and it had big blue eyes, adding to its cuteness as it looked up at him and tilted its head curiously. The tips of its feet were a light blue, and it had six white tails flowing behind it. Wrapped around its neck was an adorable baby-blue bow that went behind its back and provided a strap for a small package.

Naruto was shocked at the beautiful Vulpix before him. He didn't know what to think, should he be more offended that Riley thought of him while looking at a _fox_ , or the fact that it makes him happy to receive a fox. He ignored that for now, he saw the coat of the fox wasn't the generic red-brown color, and looked down at Riley silently asking a question.

"Ha ha! No, it's not Shiny, I had the same thought when I saw it but the Professor here in Alola assured me it's an Alolan Vulpix. The white coat indicates a different typing, Vulpix is an Ice-Type, and when it Evolves it turns into an Ice/Fairy-type. The Evolution Stone can only be found here, as far as I'm aware, so I went ahead and included one. It's inside that parcel on its back, and don't worry, the wrapping is coated in Aura so it won't be accidentally Evolving your new Vulpix."

"Man, I don't know what to say, Riley. Thank you! Seriously." He said as he reached out and stroked the curls of fur on top of the head of the Vulpix. The Vulpix let out a cute cry and nuzzled its head against his hand.

Riley smirked back at him, "Then don't say anything! Congratulations on your promotion Naruto! Or should I say Grandmaster Naruto?" Riley added with a teasing tone, "Unfortunately I've got another mission immediately, but as soon as we get a chance, let's have a battle. It has been far too long, and my team has grown significantly since the last time, so you'd better be ready."

Naruto naturally rose to the challenge, "You bet your ass I will be! Just you wait, you'll be seeing my face on the News soon, holding a big-ass Indigo League Trophy. Believe it!" He said as he gave a small fist-pump.

Riley let out another light-hearted laugh, "I'll be looking forward to it! I'm going to let you go now I'm off to Sinnoh again, be sure to treat that Vulpix well, I'm sure you're the only one with an Alolan Vulpix in Kanto right now, so watch out for Poachers. Not that I need to tell you, _Grandmaster_ ," He said with a final jab as he hung up.

Naruto rolled his eyes and smiled despite the teasing, he always enjoyed talking with Riley. The guy always seemed super-serious until you got to know him. But he was a nice guy and a strong Trainer. Riley took most of the Pokemon Rescue missions, and saved quite a large amount of Pokemon from Poachers. Due to the fact that he was one of the only two or three Knights in Sinnoh, and was the most famous, He sort of became the public face of the Order in Sinnoh, and most new recruits looked up to him as what a Knight _should_ be.

Naturally, to gain that kind of respect he had to be a powerful Trainer. Which he is, focusing on Attack-type Pokemon, mainly Fighting-types. He quickly became one of the strongest Trainers in Sinnoh, not quite Elite Four level yet, but he was getting there. He had even told Naruto that Byron, a Steel-type Gym Leader, asked Riley to take his place as Gym Leader. Riley politely refused, saying his son should have the honor. Riley was a Knight anyway, and was busy searching for Squires.

Naruto was broken out of his thoughts by the PokeCenter's intercom, "Naruto Uzumaki, please report to the front counter, your Pokemon are finished with their treatment." The sound of Nurse Joy's voice came through the speakers.

Naruto gently removed the package from the Vulpix's back, and opened it up. It revealed a clear, deep blue crystal, that seemed to have a large snowflake trapped inside. An Ice-Stone, he assumed, the Evolution Stone for his new friend. He took a moment to admire it, it was quite beautiful as were most Evolution stones, before placing inside his magic backpack. He decided to keep the bow on his Vulpix, not only was it Aura-infused, making it pretty much indestructible in combat, but it also very cute combined with his Pokemon's baby-doll eyes. He gently lifted Vulpix up in his arms, cradling it like a baby, and stroking _her_ stomach.

Walking back up to the counter, he happily accepted his Pokemon from Nurse Joy. Thanking her for the treatment, and the compliments she sent the cute Ice-type he was holding. While she didn't recognize what it was, she could see the set of eyes poking out from his arms looking at her curiously.

Naruto slowly made his way to the training field, already talking with Grace through the Bond. He told her all about the talk with Riley and his new Gift. He told her about Riley's recent activities and his new team member. He laughed at the glint in Grace's eyes when he told her about Riley's challenge to them. Oh yes, they would be ready for sure.

Arriving at the field, he released his team beside the pool, and set his bag down. He took off his trench-coat, folded it up, and laid it down beside his bag. Leaving him in his sleeveless black vest, and cargo pants. He kicked off his boots, and left them with the rest of his gear.

Moving beside the pool, he sat down on the edge, rolling up the bottom of his pants, he dipped his feet in the water as he sat his Vulpix down in his lap. Grace and Serket sat down on either side of him, and Scylla approached from the water, just barely taking her head out of the water, so it looked like she was resting her head on the water's surface.

The Vulpix looked slightly scared by the Atrocious Pokemon, but some kind words from the other Pokemon calmed her down easily enough.

Naruto reached down and placed his head on the Vulpix's head, tapping into his Aura, he established a connection with the young Ice-type.

 _"Hey there, little one."_ He said gently through the bond, trying not to scare the clearly timid Pokemon.

Vulpix spun around and looked at Naruto with wide eyes, _"Why did I just hear you in my head?"_ A quiet child-like voice replied through the bond.

 _"Because I am speaking in your head,"_ He said mentally with a light chuckle, he explained the bond and how it worked. Then he introduced the new member of the team to the rest of the members, Grace, Serket, and finally Scylla. The Vulpix was surprised to hear such a striking contrast between Scylla's looks and voice. Serket was kind and welcoming, speaking gently with the young Pokemon, and Vulpix found herself appreciating the warm welcome. Grace, was her usual stoic self, but everyone could tell she already had a soft spot for the new addition. Vulpix admired Grace's beautiful white coat, something that they shared.

 _"So what happened to the nice, scary-face man?"_ Vulpix curiously asked.

Naruto had to stop and digest that sentence before he realized who the 'scary-faced man' was, at which point he burst out laughing. It took him a moment longer to regain himself, and Vulpix wasn't too happy about being ignored, so she puffed out her cheeks as he continued to get control of himself. She decided to get his attention by nipping gently at his hands.

Naruto noticed the small Pokemon vying for his attention so he reached out and starting petting her head, _"Sorry girl, I just thought it was funny how you called Riley."_ He said as he shook his head, _"Riley is the 'scary faced man' you were talking about. He sent you to me, because he couldn't quite take care of you himself, and we are very close friends. So he thought you'd be better off joining me. Do you mind?"_ He asked, as he idly noticed how silky the Vulpix's fur was, it was also slightly cool. Not to the point of discomfort, but just enough to feel relaxing, as he pets her.

 _"No it's fine,"_ She said as she curled up in his lap and laid her head down, _"The scary-face man was nice, but he captured that bully-cat and I don't want to go near that one again."_ She shivered at the thought of the rampaging tiger-Pokemon that had destroyed her home. Naruto noticed her discomfort and started scratching behind her ears. Forcing a light purr from her throat. He assumed 'bully-cat' was the Incineroar Riley had captured. Makes sense for her to want to avoid the Pokemon that hurt her.

 _"Well, I'm glad to have you with us, little one. But I'm sure you don't want me to keep calling me that now do you? So we've gotta come up with a name."_ He propped his head up on his left hand and adopted a thinking pose, as he kept up his scratching. _"How about Skadi?"_ He suggested, and seeing her purr in agreement, he smiled widely.

 _"Welcome to the family then, Skadi!"_ He said as he picked her up and gave her a hug. He put her down on the ground next to Serket, as he stood up and stretched. Glancing at the clock on his X-Transceiver, he came up with a game plan.

"Alright it's only around three, so we've got plenty of time to burn. I'll be joining in training today, and start out with a swim so I'm gonna go grab my swim trunks. Grace, mind keeping an eye on my stuff until I get back?" He said aloud to the group.

"Of course, Master. Though, I doubt anyone will approach with Scylla standing guard here." Grace replied as she stood up and stretched as well, ready to start training.

Naruto grabbed his bag and ran off to find a changing room. He took off the black vest he normally wears every day, and swapped his cargo pants for swim trunks. His trunks were a deep blue, with a black beach scenery decorating the bottom rim. It was probably the only piece of clothing he owned that didn't have the Order's symbol somewhere on it, but that was okay because he was still wearing his _headband_. He tucked his clothes into his bag and headed back out into the pool.

Walking back out, he looked down to appreciate something that normally goes slightly forgotten underneath his black vest. It was a necklace, a black cord held a primarily green crystal on the end. 'Primarily' being because for some reason, randomly, the crystal would seem to glow, and shine with a full spectrum of colors. He'd never quite figured it out, and his mother assumes it was simply a trick of the refracting light. But Naruto wasn't convinced, and always felt something more coming from it. Looking at it now, it simply looked like a normal blue-green crystal on a piece of string.

But sometimes, Naruto would feel his Aura seemingly resonate with the crystal. It would only happen briefly, a flicker of reaction, and then it would disappear again, leaving Naruto questioning if it actually happened at all. He was determined to figure it out, and rarely took it off. The cord and crystal were both water-proof so there was no real reason to take it off at all.

The gem was a gift, from his Mother, on his thirteenth birthday. She called it an Ancient Uzumaki Heirloom, passed down through the Royal Family. Apparently, the stone was older than Rota itself. Hard to believe such a small piece of rock could survive so long, but she seemed to believe it entirely, and told him to take good care of it.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he arrived at the pool, taking a moment to stretch his limbs. He noticed Grace was already training, determined to finish her Thunder-Punch training. He could see the bright yellow electricity flying from her fist, as she repeated the motions again and again. It was a big step up from the tiny sparks she could barely make when they entered Viridian Forest. Progress was slow coming, but it was to be expected from such a different move.

The newly named Skadi, seemed to be playing with Serket, a slow game of tag. Well, slow for Serket, Skadi was running as fast as she could trying to avoid her pursuer. He was happy that Serket got her moving. He wasn't quite sure how young Skadi was, but judging from her voice and size, he'd refrain from any harsh training for at least another few weeks. But the physical activity could only help her right now, Pokemon's bodies were literally made to take abuse, a little running would only help her muscles develop.

Scylla was enjoying her time in the pool, switching between deep dives and lounging around the surface. Naruto decided to get her moving as well, this was supposed to be training after all. So he lowered himself in the pool, sticking his Necklace to his chest with Aura, and swam up beside her.

"Hey, Scylla wanna do some laps with me?" He suggested as he rubbed the side of her head.

He heard a light scoff echo in his mind, and the massive head of Gyarados turned to look at him, "You really think you can keep up with me in the water?" She said in a slight mocking tone.

That was a challenge if he ever heard one.

"Hah? I'm Naruto U-zu-ma-ki I can do anything! Just try it and I'm sure I'll surprise you." He challenged right back.

Scylla gave a large eye-roll back at him and they lined up on the side of the massive pool. The pools in the back of Pokemon Centers were honestly more like ponds. They were meant to hold even the biggest of Water Pokemon when they needed to be released and fed. That included _Wailords_. So they had plenty of excess space to do their laps.

Serket and Grace both kept one eye on the pool as they continued their activities, they were both interested to see how a 'race' between a Gyarados and a _human_ went.

Luckily for Naruto, they were all under-estimating him again. Grace had confidence in him of course, because she pretty much knew the extent of his abilities, having been raised beside him for the last six years.

Naruto tightened his headband and plopped one of his Aura 'Toys' in his mouth, it was essentially an Aura-Powered Rebreather. It worked by 'recycling' unused Oxygen he exhaled, and let him re-inhale it, while at the same time filtering out a bit of Oxygen from the water around him and adding it to his intake. It wasn't perfect, and like any Rebreather it had a time limit, this one was good for about ten minutes. Not his longest one, but this one could take abuse, and that was what he mainly needed.

They both got ready, on the count of three through the bond by Grace, they were off. The water exploded behind them as they went underwater, showering the training field in a light rain.

Scylla got an impressive lead, due to her natural talent in the water, swimming came as easy as breathing to her. But she was completely startled, when she glanced behind her and saw Naruto swimming fast as a Sharpedo, gaining quickly behind her. Once he got his rhythm going, he gained speed and started closing the gap between them. He used Aura to coat his eyes, used his rebreather for his lungs, and opted to stay completely submerged as he swam, his Rebreather would allow him to keep his breath for at least ten minutes. Plenty of time to destroy his Water-type in a swimming race.

Scylla, realizing she had a suddenly real chance of losing, redoubled her efforts, pushing herself further as she found herself not wanting to be outdone by her Trainer. It wasn't the fact that he was human that pushed her, considering he was an Aura Guardian it was to be expected she supposed, but she simply didn't want to seem weak in the eyes of her Guardian. She, like the other Pokemon, sought his approval, even if she didn't show it like Serket did, or silently accept it as Grace did. She wanted him to recognize her strength, and while he had already praised her power, she had not actually battled for him yet, and found herself searching for his approval elsewhere.

So she pushed herself further, finding her own limits and plowing straight through them like wet paper. She gained speed, causing waves throughout the entire pool, as they shot across the water. Naruto wasn't slacking either, he was gaining his own speed every second. While her own pace was fierce, her determination pushing her further, his was smooth, calm, and refined, he kept his form and pace completely even throughout, the only thing changing was the speed he traveled. Normally this would lose him a match with no clear set goal, but he somehow managed to keep up, he gained on her swiftly, and was about even with her tail this point.

They hadn't set a clear winner, so they silently agreed to end it in ten laps. It didn't sound like much, but consider ten laps around a pool a few times larger than a football field.

They passed their ninth run, and were on the final stretch. Naruto had gained even further, despite Scylla's full effort. And was making his way to her neck. Grace, Serket, and Skadi had all dropped what they were doing, fully focusing on the heated water-battle going on between Trainer and Pokemon. Their attention had been glued to the match once they had received a quick wash-down by the water the duo had kicked up.

The final reach of the pool approached and both racers pushed themselves beyond the limit one last time, as they slid past the designated finish line. Grace was the unofficial referee, being the one who started the race, and used her Aura Sight to watch them cross from underwater.

It was close, surprisingly close, and it would've been a tie had it not been for such a massive size difference. But unfortunately, Gyarados' head was just slightly larger than a fully-grown person. Because of that, Scylla had kept the lead, despite Naruto's rapid approach. So when they crossed the finish line, despite a near photo finish, Grace could tell Scylla had won. She looked up to inform them, but saw something that made her stop.

Scylla and Naruto were both leaning against the edge of the pool, Naruto's lower body floating as the waves tried to pull him back in. They were both exhausted from the short ten-minute water-sprint. And when they looked back at the pool, they couldn't contain their laughter. Well, Scylla's came out like a deep rumbling growl to anyone who wasn't included in the Bond.

The reason for their sudden hysteria, was a bit of the adrenaline high, and a bit of the _massive_ _whirlpool_ that they had inadvertently caused in the center of the pool. It wasn't strong enough to cause any damage, but it was certainly a sight to see. Some of the other Trainers that were using the other pools had peered over to watch the race, and were completely floored by the sight of the swirling water.

Naruto let the water keep him afloat as he settled down his body. "Jeez, Scylla you _are_ a monster," He said playfully, knowing that she wouldn't take offense to it. "I can't believe you can go that fast, I don't think I've ever had to swim that hard before." He said as he massaged his own arms. His Aura was already repairing the damage, but he'd still be sore for the next few hours.

Scylla rolled her eyes again, _"Me?! You're the one who is supposed to be human here, you_ demon _!"_ She said mockingly. Sensing how tired her Trainer was, she slunk back under the water and appeared out from under him, using her large head to lift him out of the water and carry him back over to the others.

"Thanks, Scylla," He said as he crawled off of her head, and sprawled out on the flat stone. His legs still dangling into the water.

Grace smiled, apparently who won didn't matter anymore, so she was content to keep it to herself.

The group all relaxed in silence, besides Skadi coming over to lay down on top of his chest, quickly followed by Grace, Serket, and even Scylla laid her head on the stone beside the group.

The group all quietly laid there, Grace lying perpendicular to him, using his left arm as a pillow. Serket was curled up into his side, and Scylla was resting her head up next to him. They remained there for a few minutes, before finally the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps clicking against the stone.

Naruto lazily turned his head upside down, not even bothering to rise to see whoever was approaching him. He saw Hinata and a very red-faced Leaf coming up to them. Hinata took a look at the group sprawled out on the ground, then noticed the entire area was wet, glanced up at a wall of shell-shocked Trainers lined up at the border of this pool and the next, and followed their gaze to a large whirlpool that still hadn't calmed down.

Naturally, Hinata didn't get it, "What did you do here Naruto?" She asked slightly confused.

This time the entire group of Pokemon burst out laughing.

* * *

A ten-minute explanation later, and the group was sitting up beside the pool. Naruto was sitting cross-legged with his back to the water as he talked to the girls. The ladies, not wanting to get their clothes wet, were sitting on their knees, on a towel and idly listening to his story, blatantly ogling his exposed chest, as they dumbly nodded along. One question popped up in both of their minds, however, and Leaf asked it first.

"Where did you get that scarf Naruto? It seems kind of silly to wear one to the pool." Leaf asked.

Naruto couldn't quite understand the question for a moment, before he looked down. Then he saw his new Vulpix was wrapped around his neck rather snugly, hiding her face behind her many tails. She melded together so perfectly that she did in fact, look like a pure-white scarf.

He noticed his new Vulpix seemed a bit shy around others, so he decided to have a bit of fun. "Oh, it just kind of dropped into my lap you know? And I figured I might as well keep it around, plus it's quite soft," He said as he reached up and stroked his Vulpix, right at the base of her tails.

Vulpix couldn't contain the small mewl that escaped when Naruto started petting her.

Leaf and Hinata both looked around curiously, staring at the various Pokemon assorted around them, not finding the culprit, they turned back to Naruto.

"Naruto did you hear that?" Hinata asked, as she strained her ears.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Hear what?" He asked immediately as he tried his best to prevent his smirk from showing on his face, he reached around Vulpix's tails and snagged onto an ear, going straight for the sensitive parts, he scratched her behind the ear.

Vulpix purred louder that time, and both girls heard it clearly.

"That!" Leaf exclaimed as both girls looked directly at Naruto.

"Hmm?" Naruto said innocently. "I'm not making any noise," He said as he kept scratching the ear,

Vulpix let out a full whine this time, and both girls locked onto his 'scarf', discovering Vulpix's hiding place.

Hinata was suspicious, and used her Aura Sight to investigate. She was shocked as she saw the large Aura reading coming from the 'scarf' and looked up to meet Naruto's now exposed smirk.

"Naruto is that a Pokemon?" Hinata asked surprised.

Vulpix knew she had been discovered so she peaked her head above her tails and stuck her tongue out at the girls.

"That's so cute!" Both girls immediately said, and went to pick up the adorable Pokemon.

Unfortunately for them, Skadi was both a young Pokemon, and in a new environment after a semi-traumatic event, so she did the only thing a Pokemon would do in her situation. She hopped off of Naruto's neck and scrambled behind him, using him as cover from the girls.

Naruto frowned at the girl's reaction, "Leaf, Hinata!" He said sternly, gaining both of their attention, "You scared Skadi. She's both young, and frightened, you should know better than to just reach out to her like that." He lightly scolded, keeping his voice gentle, trying not to scare Skadi any further.

Both girls realized what they had done and immediately felt bad, so Naruto loosened his minor glare at them. "Skadi come on out, these are my two good friends, they aren't going to hurt you I promise. They were just super happy to see you, and got a bit carried away." He said gently as he reached a hand behind him to pet her.

Skadi timidly crawled back into his lap, eyeing the girls wearily. He stroked her fur to calm her down, "This is Skadi, she's my newest addition to the team so you'll be seeing a lot of her. She's young so she won't be battling for a bit. You girls can touch her, but be gentle, and don't try to pick her up until she gets comfortable with you." He said, and the girls slowly approached, and reached out to pet the white Pokemon.

Hearing the cute purr the Vulpix let out, made them both let out small squeals as they fawned over the tiny fox.

"Where did you find this Pokemon Naruto, and is she a Shiny? I've never heard of a white Vulpix before." Hinata quietly asked as she played with the fox's tails.

"She was a promotion present from Riley, actually." He said with a small smile, "Or as Skadi calls him 'Nice, scary-face man'" Hinata let out a quiet giggle at that, Riley did have a bit of a scary-face the first time you met him. And when you include the slanted hat, it just gets worse.

"He was in Alola during the ceremony doing a mission, during which he stumbled upon this little cutie. I'm sure you can imagine how she wouldn't fit in his team of muscle-builders, so he sent her to me. Just about a half hour ago actually," He said as he realized the girls were talking for over an hour, just what were they talking about? Part of him wanted to ask, but the logical side of his brain was screaming 'It's a trap', so he avoided it.

Considering Leaf was lost in this conversation, he explained who Riley was, and added in an explanation of Alolan Pokemon while he was at it. The fact that he had a rather unique Ice Vulpix was something that greatly interested both of the girls. Although, he figured they were more interested in the cute part more than the unique part.

A few minutes of petting and Skadi let out a cute yawn, before climbing back up Naruto's chest and wrapping around his neck again, falling asleep.

The group let out a small laugh at the Pokemon's actions before they decided to get back to work.

Leaf and Naruto decided to train together, maybe to some slight sparring between their Pokemon, and leave Hinata to focus on her own.

But the entire process was once again de-railed by Hinata releasing her Pokemon. Including her brand new Tyrunt. Only one out of eight Tyrunts are female, so the fact that she got a female, was lucky enough. But the group was now shocked beyond belief.

Why?

Well, it was blue.

The _Tyrunt_ was _blue_.

More specifically, it was _blue_ and _white_.

But put simply, it was a _Shiny_. Hinata had found a _**Shiny**_ _,_ exceedingly _rare,_ _ **female**_ _, fossil Pokemon._

Naruto's brain shut down for a solid two minutes, and Leaf had smoke coming out of her ears. Once he had recovered Naruto took a moment to process what he was seeing. Not only were the odds of that astronomically low, but she had bought said fossil from the inside of a _rock_ , from a shady vendor on the outskirts of Pewter City.

Naruto decided to stop thinking about it. It was fine right? Right.

Considering Hinata wasn't freaking out herself, and was instead simply bending down and introducing herself. Naruto assumed that she had already been aware of the fact. Maybe the Museum guys told her? And she didn't mention it. Naruto let out a sigh, only Hinata would brush such a thing off as insignificant. Despite the fact that it is probably the rarest, non-legendary, owned Pokemon in the entire League right now.

Naruto cleared his throat, ready to start training.

Leaf looked at him as if her entire world had just shattered, "Are we just goin-"

"Yep," Naruto said cutting her off. "Try not to think about it too much, you'll hurt yourself."

As Leaf vainly tried to think of anything besides what she had just witnessed, they began training. This time focusing on the newer Pokemon, and letting the Gym Battlers have a day off, or start their own training.

Leaf focused on her Shroomish and Paras, hopefully, pushing them to Evolution to access a wider variety of moves. While Naruto added in helpful tips and commentary from his spot on the side of the pool, where he was idly keeping an eye on Skadi, who was now swimming in the shallow portion of the pool. She was probably going to be fine, she was a Pokemon after all, but one could never be too careful? So Naruto was multi-tasking.

The hours passed by pretty quickly, and besides Skadi once again tiring herself out and passing out on Naruto's lap, not much happened. Although, somewhere halfway through, Naruto absent-mindedly started giving impromptu lectures on the rarity and implications of Shiny Pokemon. Completely unrelated to the brain malfunction he had just a few hours earlier.

So now Leaf found herself multi-tasking, as she tried to focus on her Pokemon's training, and making mental notes about everything that Naruto was saying. Eventually, he shifted to more practical lessons, like Move-Tutoring, similar to what he was attempting with Grace's Thunder Punch, although, usually the Trainer is more useful in that case. But they had just started, so cut him a break.

And so, another productive day of Pokemon Training comes to an end, all three trainers crawling into bed exhausted. Happy with the way their training went, they look forward to the next Gym. Or in Hinata's case, taking her sweet little time completely _obliterating_ Brock's team.

* * *

 **Author's Notes (Minor Spoilers/Ideas)**

Chapter 4 done, well that was a fun one.

An entire chapter of Pewter City, did I make it last too long? I personally had fun writing it, and this will be one of the longer cities, considering we had a lot of stuff to do. The first gym is pretty important, so I wanted to make it feel that way.

I use Bulbapedia for move descriptions and Pokedex entries. I do not take credit for any of that, I just don't want to spend the extra time giving you false visualization, when the official stuff is on a website a few clicks away. Just in case anyone was curious.

Hinata – Yep. I gave her a Shiny Tyrunt. Why? I felt like it. Do I regret it? Nope. Am I going to have loads of fun with it? Sure am.

I took the getting fossils from Flint's Rocks from someone else's story, I can't remember which so I can't give credit, sorry. If you got offended I'm sorry, but I needed Hinata to get the fossil _before_ Pewter or I'd just have to make her get it at Mt Moon, then turn around and go back to Pewter to revive it.

A reviewer had a pretty brilliant idea of Fairy/Dragon styled team and I like it, so that's what we are going to do. She will be leaning heavier on the Fairy side, but she's gonna have Dragons too. I love the way it goes with her split personality. Fairies for her 'Nurse Mode' and Dragons for her 'Battle Mode'

Right now Leaf is getting more love than her, I plan on improving that real soon, I just wanted to flesh out Leaf's personality, since she is pretty much an OC, so that I would know how to move forward properly.

Naruto – I honestly really enjoyed writing Naruto in this chapter, especially from Pewter City, down. I feel that I did a much better job getting his personality straight this time. He got some good bonding with Scylla and his team, and showed a bit more of his own physical ability. In case you haven't gotten it yet, He's overpowered. It's a Pokemon fic so I'm allowed to make the main Hero OP without breaking the balance entirely. Considering his Pokemon will be the ones fighting if he wants to win a tournament, I can still have him kick-ass, and have a challenge.

Skadi – I was pleasantly surprised about the amount of people who recommended Mythology names, here I thought I was the only mythology nerd, and it was torn between Skadi and Khoine. Khoine did have a few more recommendations, but I feel the name Skadi fits the story better, not to mention it sorta-roughly translates into 'Shadow' so that's like an instant win right? Skadi is the Norse Goddess of Skiing, bowhunting, and Winter, in case there are any non-nerds here.

She isn't going to stay as timid as she was in this chapter, you have to remember she just almost died, and is currently very scared. She will open up and I'll flesh out her real personality soon, you already got loads of hints.

Brock – I kinda destroyed him, to be honest, but I mean he's the first Gym Leader, his Pokemon aren't really that diverse or exciting, and they aren't meant to be. I intentionally beat the pair of Onix down easily, that was to save your eyes from reading the same block of text twelve times in a row. The only Ground-attacks that they learn are basically just different ways of describing Earthquake, Literally. One is a fissure, one is a shockwave, one is a bigger fissure, and one is a bigger shockwave. How exciting. (I'm talking about Magnitude/Earthquake/Bulldoze/Earth Power. Their descriptions on Bulbapedia are almost identical.)

It kind of seemed like I was bashing him, when I had them attack him for his perverted tendencies, I'm not. I like Brock personally, but you gotta admit, sometimes he deserves a boot to the crotch courtesy of Naruto. That will be their way of stopping him, rather than Croagunk or Misty.

May – Another brilliant reviewer had an idea to add in May a bit earlier. The idea is that Norman, May's father, and a Hoenn Gym Leader, sends May to Kanto to learn about, and study Gym Leaders so that she can become one. He contacts Professor Oak, asking if the Old Man would look out for her while she's away from home. And Oak happens to know a certain Whiskered Blonde who is in the process of carving his path across the Kanto Gym Circuit. What do you guys think? Personally, I don't really like Hoenn, so if we want May it probably needs to be now, because I'm not certain if we are heading to Hoenn, at least not at first. (May will be a battler, rather than a Coordinator, and will be aiming for Gym-Leader, so you'll get some Goal diversity among the group.)

Riley – Nice, scary-face man. How did I do with him? I enjoyed writing that part out the best, I think. You got a bit of backstory on the Order, Naruto, and on Riley. They have a good relationship, Rivals, but not quite in the semi-hostile way Ash is with his Rivals. They are more like best friends who have a battle every once in a while to test themselves, rather than each other.

Do you want to see more Riley? He won't be a traveling companion, but I could easily make him show up during Team Rocket plots or something.

Geez, I need to chill with my super-long Author's Notes. I just have a lot of stuff to say, you know? I enjoy writing out my thoughts like this as well, it clears up the story's direction in my mind. I'm only going to put them at the end of Chapters, so it doesn't become an eyesore for those that skip over these.


	5. A Show of Waterflowers!

Chapter Five: A Show of Waterflowers!

Naruto and Leaf couldn't believe their eyes.

They were back at the Pewter Gym, early in the morning, for Hinata's Gym Battle. They were both leaning against the railing on the spectator's stands, keeping their eye glued to the battlefield. Both were completely entranced, as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing.

It was a _massacre._

They could not look,

Nor could they look away.

It was like watching a car crash. A terrible thing to witness, but still impossible to tear your eyes from.

Hinata was systematically ripping apart Brock's hopes, dreams, and Pokemon Team. Not necessarily in that order.

It started out normal enough, but when Hinata threw out her Togepi, Brock _laughed_ at the baby Pokemon.

It seems Hinata took offense to that, because what followed could only be described as annihilation as Togepi somehow managed to consistently launch powerful moves. Brock's Geodude was frantically dodging, for the first half of the battle, trying its best to avoid Ice Beams and Razor Leaves.

Togepi, however, was still a baby Pokemon, and eventually wore itself out. Brock seized the chance and tried to end the battle right then. But Hinata surprised everyone yet again, as her Togepi _Evolved_ right before Geodude launched its attack.

The newly Evolved Togetic, was now revitalized and had access to a variety of new moves. So Geodude once more found itself on the receiving end of a Magical Leaf onslaught, enhanced by the occasional Fairy Wind.

Geodude fell quickly, with a now-nervous Brock unsure of how to proceed with the match. He released his Onix next, even more nervous when Hinata smiled like a predator at the large Rock-Snake, and then swapped her Togetic for a Sneasel.

Sneasel seemed to pick up on his Trainer's mood, because he came out of his ball with a feral look, eyeing Onix like prey.

The match started, and Sneasel was off like a bullet, using Agility and bouncing around Onix as the large Pokemon failed to hit him. Sneasel battered the Onix with Icy-Winds and Ice-Punches, staying on the tail-end of the Snake as it tried its best to spin around and hit him. Anytime the Onix launched a Bulldoze or got close to hitting Sneasel, one simple Faint Attack would place him out of harm's way.

And just like the Geodude before it, the Onix was completely overwhelmed. A few minutes later, Sneasel stopped his relentless attack, just in time for Onix to collapse.

And Hinata took the Boulder Badge from a non-responsive Brock, who seemed to be struggling to comprehend what had just happened to him.

Naruto and Leaf came down from the spectator's stands to give their congratulations to Hinata. Both of them already becoming slightly numb to Hinata's personality shifts.

Naruto came down and scooped her up in a big hug, just like he had done with Leaf, "That was awesome Hinata! You _destroyed_ him!" He laughed as he spun her around and set her down.

Hinata was very happy, as she stayed pressed up against his chest, loving the affection he was showing her. She saw an opportunity to tease both of her companions, and leaned up to give Naruto a quick kiss on the lips. Pressing her cheek back into Naruto's chest, she sent a superior look to a red-faced Leaf. "Thanks, Naruto, but the credit goes to my Pokemon. Togepi worked very hard to Evolve, and I'm happy she finally did." Hinata said as she remained holding on to Naruto.

Leaf was oddly happy seeing Hinata get some love from Naruto, while she was a little ticked that Hinata was pretty much bragging about it. She knew it was just playful, and that Hinata wasn't getting jealous or anything. Hinata had told her some things during that 'Girl Talk' that surprised her, but she was coming to terms with it pretty quickly.

Naruto was enjoying the hug, although, he was a bit surprised with the quick kiss, but he supposed it was going to start happening eventually. He missed the interaction between the girls, as he couldn't see Hinata's face.

Naruto rolled his eyes and started running his hand through Hinata's dark hair, "And you're the one that trained them" He said with a deadpan, "You get some of the credit too, Hinata. Plus, you're the one who was telling them what to do. Pokemon battles are half Trainer, half Pokemon, you know this stuff already." He gave her one last squeeze before letting go. Much to Hinata's dismay.

Hinata gave a small pout, when he pulled away. Determined to get more of Naruto's love soon.

Leaf agreed with Naruto, "Yeah, you can't just brush off the credit like that Hinata, you complimented us after our fights remember? And you definitely did better than we did during that battle, he barely touched your Pokemon!" She said shaking her head.

"What are we going to do now?" Leaf asked, "We got our Badges, is there anything else we need to do in Pewter?"

Hinata spoke up, nodding, "I need to pick up some medical supplies at the Pokemart. When I left for my mission I didn't bring much, and I used the rest of it while we were in Viridian Forest."

Naruto and Leaf agreed, and the Group left the Gym behind. Making a small shopping trip before they head to Mt Moon.

* * *

Surprisingly, neither Hinata nor Leaf were big shoppers, it only took half an hour for Hinata to fly through the PokeMart grabbing an abundance of Potions, Status Heals, and Herbal Medicine. Although, she did buy much more than she usually would, because she had access to Naruto's magic backpack. She kept about half of her supplies on hand, since she couldn't pull things out of Naruto's backpack herself.

Naruto was beginning to believe Hinata had some space-modifying storage of her own considering the way her shopping bags seemed to disappear, and she had no backpack with her. He tried not to think about it too hard.

The Group finished their shopping, and left Pewter behind, heading toward Mt Moon. Grace and Togetic stayed outside their Pokeballs, traveling behind the group. This let them talk to each other, and keep an eye out for dangers at the same time.

The journey through Mt Moon was relatively uneventful, the various wild Pokemon there would usually be a threat to the passing Trainers, but since they traveled in a group, they didn't have too much trouble. Leaf unleashed her Grass Team on the various Rock and Ground-types that covered Mt Moon, defending whenever one attacked, or scaring off the ones that got too close. Her Shroomish and Paras both got the last bit of experience they needed to Evolve. Now Leaf had a powerful Breloom and Parasect to add to her battling team, much to her delight.

Naruto and Grace dealt with the swarms of Zubat. Grace had been very happy to have mastered Thunder-Punch during the trip, and got plenty of experience using it to beat down the Zubat whenever they got too close. Naruto was laughing right alongside her, joining the battle himself and taking down the bats rapidly. Skadi had found the entire thing extremely thrilling, since she had been wrapped around Naruto's neck the entire time, giggling herself silly as he bounced around the cavern, swinging at the bats. She got into it quickly, and launched a few of her own Powder Snows into the fray.

Hinata joined in when the battles seemed to be a little too close for comfort. Gaining Tyrunt some valuable combat experience. Chansey got some battle-healing experience as well, whenever the team got injured and they were still in combat. The Clefairy that lived in Mt Moon, seemed to leave the group alone, watching curiously from afar as they made their way through the tunnels.

They got through the cave around evening, and quickly made their way to Cerulean City. By the time they made it inside the city, the sun was already setting on the horizon, so they headed straight to the PokeCenter for the night.

"Man, I thought we were going to have to camp out for sure." Leaf said her voice full of relief, as they entered the Center.

Hinata nodded in agreement, "It was tiring to rush through Mt Moon like that, but sleeping in a bed will be nice." While she didn't mind camping, they had just spent two weeks in a forest, so a break from the outdoors was welcomed.

Naruto let out a small pout, "I was looking forward to camping out though!" Naruto whined childishly. He had grown up in a castle, and rarely got to enjoy sleeping outside. He only got to camp during his missions, and those were generally close to Rota, when he was in training, so it wasn't very often. He always loved nature, and would often be found sleeping in his training field back at Rota.

Both girls felt their hearts skip a beat at Naruto's heartbroken expression. They both did their best to resist the urge to reach out and stroke his whiskers, or glomp him on the spot and hug the life out of him.

Leaf shook the thoughts out of her head, and frowned at Naruto. "Yeah but you're a guy! Not all girls are used to bathing in rivers you know!"

Naruto pouted further as they approached the counter. His sad look seemed to disappear as he slapped one of his hands on the Center's front desk and called out, "Hey, Nurse Joy!" Nearly giving the Joy at the desk a heart attack, as she was absorbed in her computer.

"One, four-person room, please! And could you give our Pokemon a checkup? We kinda exhausted them on the way here." He said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

The Nurse Joy placed a hand over her heart, trying to calm down and turned to look at them. She smiled widely when she saw his face, "Of course, Naruto! Did you just come through Mt Moon? I wasn't expecting you for a few more days!"

Naruto was surprised this Joy knew his name. He squinted his eyes, and scrunched up his face as he leaned over the counter to examine her closely. She looked similar to the other Joys, the only obvious difference being the dark-blue cross on her Nurse's Hat that indicated she was the Cerulean City Nurse.

"Do I know you?" He said scratching his chin, "I'm usually pretty good at remembering faces, have we met somewhere?"

Nurse Joy laughed as she handed them trays to place their Pokeballs on, "No, nothing like that, my name is Jasmine Joy. My sister in Viridian sent the whole family a picture of you heroically standing over those Rocket Grunts that attacked her Center, and told us to look out for 'A cute whiskered blonde Trainer' as thanks for saving the Pokemon in Viridian." She handed him a photo, showing Naruto with his arms crossed smirking down at the restrained Rocket Duo, Grace standing proudly beside him. The Duo's defeated Pokemon were lying at Grace's feet, and the Grunts had a look of fear on their face.

Naruto took a moment to stare at the picture, a bit confused. Who the hell took that picture? And how did they do it without him noticing?

Hinata and Leaf peeked over his shoulders. "Wow you look really good in this Naruto," Leaf commented as she studied the photo.

Hinata smiled at the picture, and turned to Nurse Joy, "Can I have a copy of this?" Hinata asked, "I want to add it to my collection."

Naruto snickered at Hinata's slip-up, he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to hear that, "Collection of _what_ , Hinata?" He asked in a teasing tone.

Hinata's face turned red rapidly, as she took the extra photo from a coyly-smiling Nurse Joy. She slipped it into her wallet, and put it away quickly. "N-Nothing, Naruto, it was nothing!" She stuttered for a moment. She tried to think of something to change the subject, and luckily, Nurse Joy came to her rescue.

"Here is your room key. I'll heal up your Pokemon and call you down whenever they are ready, or you can pick them up in the morning." She said as she handed Naruto a key-card.

The Group nodded, and filled up the trays with their Pokeballs, before handing them off to Nurse Joy. They went up to their room, and settled down for the night.

* * *

Hinata had taken the room's shower, so it was just Leaf and Naruto in the room. Both had taken to more comfortable clothes. Naruto was wearing a black T-shirt with a small V-neck exposing a bit of his collarbone and letting his Necklace hang down over it, and a simple pair of sweatpants. Leaf was wearing an adorable set of light-green pajamas, the shirt was covered in small pictures of the various Grass-types in the Kanto region, and she had a small green pair of cotton shorts.

Naruto was laid out on the bed he had taken, scrolling through Skadi's potential moves. He still needed to scan her, but took the moment to study up on the Alolan Vulpix. He hadn't had much experience with Alolan Pokemon, or Ice-types for that matter.

So, he studied the moves available to Skadi. From what he gathered, it seemed like a better idea to keep Skadi as a Vulpix for a while, since there was a large Move-set that Vulpix could learn naturally, unlike Ninetails. While Ninetails could still be taught these moves, they wouldn't be learned automatically in battle, so it would be much harder to train in.

He was broken out of his thoughts as Leaf sat down on the edge of his bed. She was blushing heavily, and doing her best to avoid his eyes. She seemed to be nervously scratching her arm, and was having trouble starting a conversation.

Naruto was a bit confused by her behavior, and went ahead and helped her out, "What's up Leaf? Is something wrong?"

"N-Not really," She started, "It's just-" She stopped again, and sighed, deciding to just bite the bullet, "Hinata told me about your _problem._ "

Naruto was even more confused. What problem?

Leaf sighed again when she saw he wasn't getting it, "I'm talking about your Harem." She said bluntly.

Oh. _That_ problem.

That suddenly got Naruto nervous, he'd been worried about this for quite a while. He was already liking Leaf a lot, and didn't want to scare her off. He just couldn't figure out how to breach the subject. How do you tell a girl you like that she would just be one of many different women in a multi-person relationship? Naruto hated seeing people hurt, and he didn't want to end up hurting Leaf.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, silently hoping she wouldn't be mad at him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just couldn't figure out how to bring it up." He said quietly, "If you don't want to travel with us anymore I underst-"

Leaf could tell he was misunderstanding, and panicked. "I want in!" Leaf blurted out, before realizing what she said and turning her face even more scarlet. "I-I-I mean, I wouldn't mind joining. You're really nice, and strong, and handsome..." Leaf hid her face in her hands as she continued to embarrass herself.

Naruto smiled widely when he heard her, and had to resist the urge to squeeze the life out of her. Well, a bit couldn't hurt, right? So he set his Pokedex down, and leaned forward. Wrapping his arms around his waist he pulled her into his lap, "I'm glad." He said softly, sending a shiver down her spine when she felt his breath on her neck. He continued, "I really like you Leaf. I know we haven't known each other too long, but I enjoy spending time with you so much." He said sincerely.

Leaf was overjoyed to hear that from her crush, even if it had only been a few weeks since they had met. She already felt closer to Naruto than she had with anyone else, besides her Mother. She twisted around in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So does this mean we are together?" She asked in a timid tone, unusual from her normally bubbly self.

Naruto nodded, "If you want to be." He posed it as a question.

"Yes!" She said immediately.

Naruto smiled happily, and held Leaf closer. He lowered his head down to her neck, planting light kisses along her collarbone. Enjoying how she squirmed in his lap, he slowly traced up her neck. Going higher, he nibbled on her ear, drawing a slight whimper from her. "Then I am happy to be with my beautiful Girlfriend, Leaf." He whispered into her ear. "You know Hinata is going to join us right?" He said as he traced his hands along her sides, and down her back.

Leaf leaned further against him, "I don't care," She said contently. She paused for a bit before shifting her tone, a bit more meek. "To be honest, I think Hinata is hot," She added quietly. She couldn't help it, Hinata was a very beautiful girl. Ever since they had that 'Girl Talk' where Hinata had told her about Naruto's Harem and how she wanted to be a part of it, the girl had been sending her bedroom eyes. She had quite a sneaking suspicion that Naruto's Harem was also going to be Hinata's Harem. Surprisingly, she found herself curious about the idea, she had never paid attention to girls, at least not sexually. But recently, Hinata had been giving her some physical affection right along Naruto, and she found herself enjoying it. If they were going to be with Naruto together, they might as well try to make the best of it right?

Naruto was extremely surprised by the confession, but tried not to let it show on his face. He didn't want to accidentally offend her, and really didn't know how to safely respond to that. So he decided to get back to what he was doing, and went for a final step to 'seal the deal'.

Leaning back he looked into her eyes, and slowly went in for a kiss. Their lips met gently, and he felt her freeze up for a moment, before doing her best to return the kiss. Naruto switched it up a bit, stopping to nip at her lips and rub his hands around her back.

They both enjoyed the light kisses they were trading, and Naruto took it a step further. He opened his mouth and gently licked her lips, slipping between them when she let out a moan.

Their kiss deepened and they started clashing tongues. Naruto dominated Leaf's tongue with his own, and they spent the next few minutes enjoying each other. Leaf's squirming in his lap made his body react, and she started kissing a bit more aggressively when she felt him hardening through the thin fabric of his sweatpants. She shifted in his grip, spinning the rest of her body so that she was now straddling him, and started actively grinding herself against his lap. Her earlier shyness seemingly forgotten as she tried to fight back with her own tongue, making out with him hungrily.

Naruto's hands grew a bit adventurous and slipped down Leaf's small body. One went to lay butterfly touches on her cute butt, it had been teasing him almost as much as Hinata's had and he took the moment to satisfy a few of his urges. The other slipped under her pajamas' shirt, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin, and started lightly tracing his fingers up her spine and sending another set of shivers down it.

Leaf responded in kind, running her fingers through his blonde hair, and slipping her hands down his chest to feel his muscles through his shirt. Even through the material, she could feel his lean muscles, and found herself more turned on than she could ever remember being before. She felt him grab a handful of her ass, and let out another, longer, moan. Grinding herself faster against him, she found it hard to stop, a wetness growing between her legs.

They both explored each other's body for the first time, as they continued their kissing. While they were both inexperienced, they made up for it with enthusiasm,

Leaf pulled back for a moment, her eyes glazed over as she stared back at him. "Wow," She murmured as she reached up to touch her own lips with one of her hands. She hadn't expected to start kissing him so easily when she came to talk, but she can't say she has any regrets.

"Yeah," Naruto said dumbly, suddenly breathless. Swimming underwater for ten minutes to race a Gyarados? Easy. Breathing while making out? Somehow more difficult. Well, better go for the Uzumaki solution. Practice, and lots of it. Naruto Uzumaki was nothing if not dedicated to his training. Hopefully, he would have two willing 'training' partners.

A light giggle broke the Duo out of their thoughts. They turned to see a smiling and slightly drooling Hinata, freshly showered, staring at them with happiness clear in her eyes.

She had changed her outfit for the night as well, ditching her hoodie in exchange for a black T-shirt, looking suspiciously similar to Naruto's. Although, the V-neck had a much more visible effect on her body. It showed a generous amount of her impressive cleavage, and Leaf felt a certain part of Naruto twitch as they both admired the view. She decided to forgo pants entirely, letting the slightly-too-large T-shirt hang tantalizing over her wide hips, plump rear, and violet cotton panties. Her long luscious legs were completely exposed, looking perfectly smooth and toned from her physical training. Her body was fit, but not overly so, she showed just enough muscle to give herself an attractive definition, but still had the extra softness that came from long hours of studying and a childhood of luxury. She had done up her long, dark purple, hair into an attractive pony-tail, and her creamy white skin looked pristine from the shower.

Both Naruto and Leaf were stunned into silence as they got their first _real_ look at Hinata's body. Naruto found himself breathless for the second time that night. He knew Hinata was well-endowed, but seeing it was a different thing entirely. Hinata had always been a bit shy about her body, while she had no problem getting physical with him, she never liked to show herself off, and stuck to baggy or generally un-feminine clothing. Likely a habit she had picked up from his Mother.

As a kid, he quickly found out Hinata was a cuddler, and whenever they had sleep-overs she would always crawl into his bed at some point during the night. When they grew up they were raised together, and she had basically attached herself to him, rarely being seen without him. When they got serious about their training, they separated slowly and spent less time together. They never really lost their relationship, they just simply didn't have the time to spend together. But now, they had finished their training-stage and were moving toward their dreams, so they had all the time in the world.

But looking at her now, it was hard to believe she was the small girl that would follow him around everywhere he went. Now she was grown up, and _showed_ it.

"You guys are so mean," Hinata puffed her cheeks out in a small pout, "You started without me!" She said with a small smirk as she sauntered over to them, adding a delicious sway to her hips. Internally cheering as she saw both of their eyes glued to her, she approached the bed slowly, drawing out each movement of her body. Once she got to them, she leaned over to climb up on the bed with them, intentionally pushing her arms against her chest, giving the Duo a deep look down her cleavage as her arms pushed her breasts together. She sat on her knees leaning up against the side of Naruto's chest, pressing her breasts into his side, and placed a hand on his chest. She lightly traced a finger around his muscled chest, and looked up at him hopefully.

"So I guess this means that you're finally going to accept us?" She said, having caught the last few minutes of the Duo molesting each other.

Naruto nodded, slowly regaining his wits. But wasn't about to let Hinata take full control like that. So he slipped the arm he was using to trace Leaf's back, away from her. Raising it over Hinata's head he wrapped it around the small of her back and forcefully pushed her flush against him. Seeing her lean up, he kissed her possessively, a few years of pent-up lust for his childhood friend escaping in the moment. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, tasting her as they kissed. He quickly took control of the kiss, and explored her mouth, tracing her teeth with his tongue and pulling back to nibble on her lips.

Hinata happily enjoyed the kiss, finally getting the love she had been craving ever since she truly understood what love was. She willingly submitted, loving the minor dominance Naruto was showing. She had waited so long for her crush to accept her, and while she understood why he had to wait, it didn't make it any easier.

Naruto continued to ravish his new Girlfriend's mouth and relished in the feeling of Hinata's warm body pressed up against his own. He nearly smirked when he felt her hardened nipples pressing against him, and noticed she wasn't wearing a bra. Sliding his hand from her lower back, up her sides he slowly trailed up her body and slipped under her arm. Feeling brave, he went higher and ghosted his hand around the underside of Hinata's large breast. He felt her shiver and heard her release a throaty moan. Taking the chance, he latched on to her breast, squeezing and kneading it in his hand. Loving the feeling of her pillowy chest almost as much as her moans, he kept up his fondling as he kissed her more aggressively.

Leaf moaned, feeling a bit left out, and rubbed her butt into Naruto's other hand, which still had a handful of her ass.

Hinata pulled back from the kiss as her attention was drawn to Leaf. It was a bit rude for her to come in and interrupt their moment. She had stolen Naruto's attention and felt a bit bad. An idea came to her, and she gained a mischievous smirk as she looked at Leaf, who seemed to be rubbing up against Naruto as best she could.

Before Leaf could react, Hinata pounced on her, pushing her down on the bed. Hinata used her hands to restrain Leaf's above her head, and started nipping at Leaf's neck.

"Hinata?!" Leaf squealed as she fell back on the bed, and shivered as she was being pleasured by the boxum girl, "N-No, H-Hinata, s-s-stop iiiiittt," She let out a deep moan as Hinata licked up the side of her neck and ran one of her hands over her petite chest.

Hinata, feeling a bit bold knowing Naruto was watching, cupped Leaf's cheek, and leaned down to kiss her. Leaf went limp in Hinata's hold and meekly accepted the kiss. Their kiss was more gentle than their experience with Naruto, and both ladies found a different kind of pleasure from it. Naruto's was more passionate, while this one was calmer and the girls appreciated the feeling. Hinata started to give Naruto a show, rubbing her own body on top of Leaf, she placed her legs on either side of the younger girl, locking their ankles together, she spread both of their legs at once. Giving Naruto a full view of Hinata's large panty-clad ass, and the spread legs of Leaf, her shorts were concealing her panties, but it made the view no less erotic.

She pressed herself against Leaf, her large DD-cup dwarfing perky B-cup as their chests mashed together. Hinata knew Leaf wouldn't resist anymore, and used both of her hands to explore the smaller girl's body. She placed her hands on Leaf's stomach and slowly ran her hands up, before grabbing Leaf's breasts roughly. Not enough to hurt, just enough to surprise the younger girl.

And it worked, Leaf let out a startled moan at the sudden stimulation. She looked back up at the larger girl towering over her, and decided to fight back. Using her free hands, she latched onto Hinata's swaying tits, fondling to her heart's content.

Naruto delighted in the show for a while, watching Hinata give Leaf a full-body rubdown, and listening to the moans of both girls as they had their first lesbian experience together.

As much as he would love to watch this forever, they had plans, and needed to get some rest.

Noticing neither girl was paying attention to him anymore, he gave Hinata a smack on the ass, hard enough to leave a handprint.

"Ahhh!" Hinata let out a mix of a shriek and a moan, shivering from the unexpected stimulation. Both girls looked at the smirking blonde, confused on why he got their attention.

"As much as I'd love to watch you two continue that, we have a lot to do tomorrow and we need to get some sleep. It's been a long day, we should pick this back up tomorrow night." Naruto said with a promising tone, as he gently rubbed the tender asscheek he had slapped.

Reluctantly, the girls agreed, and they both crawled back up to Naruto's side, intent on sleeping with him for the night.

* * *

The beds could comfortably fit two people, but the girls were determined, so they settled down with Naruto on the right edge almost pressed against the wall, Leaf was lying on his chest, one hand wrapped around Hinata's waist, and Hinata was pressing into his left side, snuggling into his shoulder as she rested her head on his arm.

And so, the Trio fell asleep, their dreams filled with each other.

The next morning they all woke up entangled with each other, and slowly pulled themselves out of bed. Naruto gave each of his special ladies a kiss to start the day, and the group got cleaned and dressed.

Running down to the lobby, they all picked up their Pokemon from a chipper Nurse Joy, who wished them luck in their Gym Battle.

They sat down in the lounge together on a big couch with Naruto in the middle. Planning to do some annual research on their upcoming Gym Battle. The Nurse Joy had told them it was actually three leaders, instead of one, so they decided to consult the local databases.

Naruto pulled out his Pokedex, "Adjutant, what can you tell me about the Cerulean City Gym Leaders?" He asked.

"Give me a moment, Naruto," The mechanical female voice of his Pokedex responded, it took a moment to gather the data and his Dex continued. "The Sensational Sisters, known for their beauty, Pokemon shows, and powerful Water-type Pokemon. Common appearances are Goldeen, Seel, Shellder, Staryu, and their Evolutions. Previously known as the weakest of the Eight Common Gyms, the Sisters lacked a desire to battle, instead focusing entirely on their Water Performances and Pokemon Plays. They eventually lost their drive to battle entirely, and started handing out Badges to any Trainer that Challenged them. Four years ago, when the Pokemon League drastically increased it's Gyms expectations, they nearly lost their Gym to a surprise inspection." The Adjutant, provided.

"Failing the test horrifically, they were about to lose their Gym Leader status, until their younger fourth sister, Misty Waterflower, showed up and challenged the Inspector to a battle. Using her own, personally trained, team she defeated the Inspector easily and saved their Gym on the promise that the three sisters would take their jobs seriously. Since then, the Gym Leaders have become one of the stronger of the Eight Common Gyms, however, they seem to drastically tone down their Teams for newer Trainers. Several months ago, Misty Waterflower left the Gym to her sisters, leaving to start her own Journey. The circumstances behind her disappearance are unknown." She finished.

Naruto was stunned, he knew Adjutant was advanced, but seriously? How high-tech was this thing? "Damn, my Dex is awesome," He absent-mindedly said as he read the Gym Leader page on the three sisters.

"Thank you, Naruto." Adjutant responded.

Hinata leaned into his side to read the page, "Wow, where did you get that Pokedex Naruto?" Hinata asked as she looked up at him curiously, she had seen it briefly before but hadn't thought much of it. Clearly, it was far more advanced than she thought.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but Adjutant beat him to the punch. "I am the Adjutant, Artificial Intelligence provided to Aura Guardian Grandmaster, Naruto Uzumaki, by Master Kushina Uzumaki to assist him in his travels."

 **Artificial Intelligence**. Man, he should've paid more attention to that part. She'd said it like three times already, and he was just now getting what that meant.

Naruto mulled over the information in his head but the easiest way to understand would just be to simply ask her, so he did. "Artificial Intelligence? That means you're capable of thought right?"

"Simply put, yes. I was created with the intention to provide you with any and all information you need. My thought processes have several restrictions to prevent needless thoughts to slow down my functions. However, I am capable of understanding conversations entirely, and compiling information into an easy-to-understand format, as I demonstrated with the data on the Gym Leaders." The Adjutant responded.

Naruto shook his head, and decided to worry more about that later. Now that he knew, he was definitely going to be taking advantage of The Adjutant. He thanked his Pokedex, closed it, and slipped it back into his pocket.

Leaf intervened, "Hold on, back up a sec," She said as she frowned, "She said the Pokemon League did some serious changes, what was that about? And what did she mean by 'Eight Common Gyms'?"

Naruto leaned back into the couch and scratched his chin as he thought about it. "Well, it started about seven-ish years ago, the League raised the age of the Trainer's License from ten to fifteen. I was only nine at the time, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. I heard Mom talk a bit about it though, she said, and I quote, _'Some dumb-ass ten-year-old drove a brand-new convertible, full of cheerleaders, straight into a Pokemon Center'_. Miraculously, no one died, but there were some injuries and it blew up in the Media. The League ended up raising a lot of their standards after that, first being Trainer Age Requirement. There are still a couple ways to get around it, like going to a Trainer School at ten, or becoming a Student at a Gym." Naruto said.

Leaf raised an eyebrow, "Student at a Gym?" She asked as she leaned in. She was learning a lot and Naruto seemed to be in a lecturing mood, so she was ready to gain as much as she could from it.

Naruto nodded and wrapped an arm around Leaf pulling her closer to him, "Yep, another thing they started enforcing was Gym Requirements. A lot of Gym Leaders were seriously slacking in their jobs, similar to the Cerulean City Gym Leaders you just heard about. So, the League started up inspections, grading on Battle Strength, Fairness, and most importantly _Teaching_." He lectured.

"Gyms are supposed to be designed to teach the Challenger, and the Gym Leader's job is to offer advice to their Challengers whenever they can. Most Gyms failed this section of the exam, so they started up a new program, forcing Gyms to take on Trainees, or Students. They would offer these positions to talented Trainers they battled, a chance to study under the Gym Leader themselves. These Trainees would take care of the various Pokemon at the Gym, and do things like Referee the matches so that they could learn about Pokemon Battles, and leading a Gym." Naruto continued, as he started showering his ladies with his attention. He kept the arm wrapped around Leaf and pulled her into his chest, slipping his hand down to settle on her stomach.

His other arm wrapped around Hinata, who was already leaning into his chest, and started running his hand through her hair. "They also bumped up battling-standards of the League. Some Gyms were laughably easy, once again using the example of the Cerulean Gym giving out Badges for free, and some Gyms were nearly impossible. So the League started promoting 'Fairness' by creating Tiers of Pokemon for the Gym Leaders to use." The girls both started mewling in contentment at his affections.

"The Leaders still had free reign over their Pokemon they were just given brief ideas on how strong each Tier was. They also increased the difficulty curve significantly. They made sure their Leaders were training their Pokemon hard, and told them to make the final two Tiers of Teams difficult. They were _defending_ their badges after all. To put it into perspective, if we challenged a Four-Badge Gym Leader Team, right now, we would get swept. Lose, without defeating a single one of their Pokemon." Leaf raised her head off his chest to look at him.

"Are you serious?" She asked surprised. She knew they were still rookies, but swept? She hadn't experienced something like that, unless you count her battle with Hinata but her Bulbasaur was a baby back then. So it never really occurred to her as a possibility.

Naruto nodded seriously, then closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch, pulling Leaf back into his chest. "Yeah, after Cerulean we are going to have to camp out and train hard again, like we did in Viridian. The next Tier begins after our second Badge, and we can expect a large gap in skill between each one."

Leaf nodded against his chest, deep in thought. "Okay, but what about those 'Eight Common Gyms'" She reminded him, getting slightly sleepy due to her comfortable position.

"The 'Eight Common Gyms' are the most well-known of Kanto's Gym Circuit, and are the ones that Trainers usually go for. There are actually eight-teen Gyms, one for each Type. I was planning on challenging the Common Gyms, for my own Badges. But if we come across a different Gym on the way, I'd like to challenge them as well. It'll be a good experience for the League." He said, getting a hum of approval from Leaf.

He noticed Hinata had been oddly quiet, so he took opened an eye and took a peek down at her.

She was fast asleep, with an incredibly peaceful expression on her face. She looked quite cute, snuggled up against him, with her hand resting on his stomach. He let out a quiet chuckle, and decided to give her a bit before they head out. They had gotten up quite early, the sun was just now beginning to rise, so they had plenty of time.

He let them snooze on his chest for a while, as he thought about his strategy for the upcoming Gym. Twenty minutes or so passed, and the sun was bright enough to light up the lobby, so he was ready to get going. He gently shook the girls awake, planting a kiss on each of their foreheads as he tried to get them up.

Hinata demanded more, and wouldn't move until he gave her a real kiss. So he spent a few minutes kissing the sleep away from them, before they finally got up and out of the Center.

* * *

They quickly made their way to the Gym, getting directions from some early rising locals. It only took a few minutes to find their way, and found themselves a bit surprised at what they saw.

It looked more like a Contest Hall than a Pokemon Gym. It was a large building, with a minor circus theme to it, a yellow and pink domed roof, decorated with a large statue of a Dewgong. The front was covered in trimming with many pillars all styled after waves and water. Outside, they could see a few concession stands styled after various Water Pokemon.

Walking inside, they found the three Gym Leaders practicing a swimming routine in the large pool. No-one else seemed to be around, despite the Gym being open.

The group all eyed each other not sure what to make of it. Naruto shrugged and walked forward, "Excuse me, ladies!" He called out, interrupting their practicing.

"We are like, in the middle of practice right now," The blue-haired one said, Violet, he remembered from the Gym Leader page he had read. "If you want to buy tickets you need to like, talk to our manager, we're all sold out."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he stopped his stride mid-step and smiled down at them, getting three blushes in return. "Haha! Sorry about that! We aren't looking for tickets, we had heard that three beautiful ladies were in charge of this Gym and I think I found them," He said with a cheeky wink.

He was laying it on pretty thick, but they seemed like the type that would ignore him if he didn't catch their attention immediately. Hinata being an Empath, had naturally picked up what he was doing, and informed Leaf so they wouldn't have any misunderstandings. While both ladies were willing to let him pick his future mates, flirting immediately after last night seemed rude to them. Luckily for Naruto, they had caught on.

The sisters all found themselves blushing up a storm from the compliments of the cute guy who had so brazenly walked into their Gym. Normally, they would scoff at that kind of compliment, and just brush it off as a matter-of-course due to their good looks. But they all found themselves appreciating his handsome features, and the muscles he showed off with his sleeveless outfit.

"W-Well, what is it you want?" Daisy said, their normally prissy attitude seemed to melt away as their blushes grew.

Naruto crouched down on the edge of the pool so he could be about eye-level with them, and gave them a signature foxy grin. "Me and my two friends here want to battle you ladies, we were really looking forward to it the entire way here! I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!"

The girls shifted in the water nervously. How were they supposed to say no to that? Finally Lily spoke up next, "We would like, love to battle you, but we have a show tonight and we need all of our Pokemon for it." She said with an apologetic frown.

Naruto visibly deflated and sent them his best heartbroken expression, "Are you sure there is nothing we can do?" He asked quietly, making all three ladies want to jump out of the water and comfort him. Even Hinata and Leaf were having trouble keeping still, despite knowing it was mostly an act. They could tell he was still genuinely sad about missing a battle. They wanted nothing more than to sandwich Naruto between them, and kiss him until he felt better. It seemed their conflicting expressions added to Naruto's show, as he turned around to look at them, and deflated even further when he saw their faces.

"W-Wait," Daisy said, all three girls feeling terrible for rejecting him, "I-I have an idea that could work." She said.

She quickly explained her idea to her other sisters, and they each wore a matching smile as they went over the details with the Challengers. All five ladies felt their hearts skip a beat when Naruto perked up and gave them a Mega-watt smile. The three sisters were incredibly relieved to see his face light up, and each vowed to make it the best Gym Battle ever.

The idea had actually been a splendid one, and one Naruto hadn't even considered in a Gym Challenge, it was definitely going to be a unique battle if nothing less. But right now they needed to prepare, after giving the three sisters a big 'thank you' they ran back to the PokeCenter to get a new kind of training done.

Each Trainer picked the Pokemon they were going to be using, after some discussion, and they started their training together. They were on a time-limit, so they trained hard, probably harder than they ever had before. Giving themselves one hour of rest before their deadline, they pushed themselves to the limit. Leaf was taken off-guard as she was forced into some Aura-Guardian level Pokemon training, but did her best to keep up. Determined to perfect their strategy in the small amount of time given, they each gave it their all and the Pokemon went right alongside them.

The afternoon passed, and the group was provided lunch by a now-spectating Nurse Joy, considering the Pokemon Center was relatively empty, as most Trainers booked there had left to train or head out for the day, she really didn't have much to do. So she offered to help them out with their intense training regimen, stopping them if they pushed a bit too far, to prevent any excessive damage.

The time ran out, and the group was thoroughly pleased with their progress, it wasn't ideal but for one day it was better than they could've hoped for. They were ready to take the Cerulean Gym by storm, and they'd do it _together_.

* * *

 **Small timeskip ~Evening~ Ending of the Water Show.**

The crowd cheered in approval as the Sensational Sisters performed their Finale. They had finished a set of synchronized swimming, combined with some Pokemon-enhanced water-acrobats. The hype building up from the duration of the show, set the crowd off and they loved it.

"And there you have it, folks! Another outstanding performance from Cerulean's very own Sensational Swimming Sisters!" The announcer said over the intercom, setting the crowd off again.

"But that's not all we have for you tonight, so hold on to your seats!" The crowd died down as they listened curiously, the show was supposed to be over.

"Today we have a very special last-minute addition that will be sure to blow you out of the water!" The announcer continued, building up the suspense.

"For our Water-Pokemon and Battle lovers, we are going to be witnessing the very first Cerulean City Gym TRIPLE BATTLE! LIVE!" He announced, and the crowd let out a roar of excitement. As the crowd continued cheering, the battleground appeared, and six floating platforms popped up out of the large pool. A triple-sized Trainer's box appeared on either side, and a Referee came onto the field.

The announcer came back on, doing his best to build up the crowd, "On our home side, we have our very own Cerulean City's Sensational Sisters! Let them hear you CHEER!" Another wave of cheers and whistles shook the stadium as the three sisters approached their box. They were still dressed in their swimwear, much to the delight of the crowd, taking the moment to wave and blow kisses back at their fans.

"And on our Challenger's side, we've got a special treat for you, coming from the Kingdom of Rota, we have The Aura Guardians, Leaf, Hinata, and Naruto! They may be challenging our Waterflowers, but they promised a great battle, so let them hear your support!" The crowd roared even _louder_ when they heard 'Aura Guardian'. While the Order wasn't massive, it's fame was. Everyone had grown up listening to stories of Sir Aaron, so to watch those Heroes battle was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Naruto walked up to the Trainer's Box proudly, his lovely ladies on either side of him. The crowd roared again as they got into position. They were all feeling the team spirit, wearing blue and black with the Order's Symbol shown on their 'uniforms'.

Hinata had changed out of her hoodie, wearing her actual Guardian gear now. She was wearing an elegant Kimono, it was completely black at the top, and slowly seeped into a deep blue as it went lower. By the time it reached her legs, it was a bright sky-blue, and the bottom rim was covered in black flames, similar to Naruto's Trenchcoat. The material was coated in Aura, making it soft as silk and seem to shimmer in the light, making it look almost as if it was actually on fire. The Order's Symbol was shown on her back, and on the front of the Kimono's sash. Her hair was down in her usual Princess-cut, but with the addition of a gorgeous purple flower hairpin just above her left ear. She looked every bit the Princess she was, and walked alongside Naruto elegantly.

Leaf looked completely professional, betraying her petite build. She was wearing a black business suit, with a deep navy-blue undershirt and a black business tie. She kept her knee-length skirt, but exchanged it for a dark blue skirt, with the same black flamed trim. She finished the outfit with thigh-high black socks, a pair of black gloves, and smaller personalized version of a signature Guardian Slanted Hat. She had the Order's Symbol on her Hat, and on a pin on the front of her suit. Leaf seemed to get into her role, and walked beside Naruto with a purpose, her face completely serious.

While Leaf _wasn't_ an Aura Guardian, this was a show, and the crowd didn't need to know that. Regardless, today, she was wearing the Order's colors and tried her best to act accordingly, taking on the serious expression she always saw Hinata and Naruto battle with. It helped that she was totally into the suit she was wearing.

The crowd went wild yet again, when they got the close up of the group's matching outfits. The cameras in the stadium letting the crowd see them in full. Leaf's formal Suit, Hinata's regal Kimono, and Naruto's fierce Trenchcoat, showed a variety of personalities and the crowd loved it.

Naruto stood proudly in the middle of the Trainer's box, slightly in front of the ladies to signify his 'Leadership'. He crossed his arms and smirked confidently across the field at the Gym Leaders. Hinata raised one of her long sleeves up to her mouth and hid a giggle as she looked at the Leaders, increasing her 'Princess' look. Leaf crossed her arms behind her back and let a small smile twitch at her lips.

"Ohoho! And the Challengers start the match before the Pokemon Battle even begins! They look FEARLESS!" The announcer said revving up the crowd once more in anticipation for the main event.

The sisters signaled to the Ref, and prepared to start the match.

Naruto took a deep breath and tightened his headband.

 _'This is it, this is what it feels like to stand and battle in front of a crowd.'_ He thought to himself, _'I wonder what if this is close to how it feels to stand in the Indigo Stadium?'_ He pondered, it was exhilarating to have them all focused on his team.

He calmed his nerves, just one more step in the direction of his dream. No big deal.

He sent a reassuring smile at both of his ladies, Naruto was happy to see that they seemed to be handling the crowd pretty well. He assumed the costumes helped, it was easier to be someone else in front of an audience after all.

"This will be a three on three, triple battle, between the Challenging Team and the Gym Leaders, each Trainer is allowed one Pokemon, and the first team to lose all of their Pokemon, is defeated." The referee called out, from his stand on the side of the pool.

"Trainers call out your Pokemon!" He announced.

The Leaders went first.

The three sisters threw their Pokeballs in unison, "Go, Seaking/Cloyster/Dewgong!"

Seaking dove into the water, keeping just the top of its body above water while it waited for the battle to begin, Cloyster and Dewgong appeared on separate floating platforms, preparing themselves for the battle.

The Challengers threw theirs next.

Naruto gave another smirk, and grabbed a ball from his belt, "Strike them down, Grace!" He said confidently as he called out his Partner.

Hinata reached into one of her long sleeves, and pulled out a familiar blue and black Pokeball. "Assist me, Togetic." She said elegantly as she released her own Partner.

Leaf reached for a ball on her own belt, "Show them your strength, Breloom!" She chose one of her newly Evolved Pokemon.

Their Pokemon each taking an individual platform, and doing their best to match their Trainer's attitudes. They had prepared themselves for the crowd, and stood tall despite the larger amount of attention focused on them.

 _This_ is what they had been training for. While their Pokemon were strong enough to tackle this Gym, they were dealing with a _triple_ battle. Something each of them were unfamiliar with. Hinata and Naruto had done minor double battles, but that was quite a while ago, and they had different battling styles now. Leaf was completely new to this, and learned the most from their training. They did their best to prepare some combos, and learn each other's fighting style in the short amount of time they were given, hopefully, it would pay off.

Unfortunately, they probably had one of the most difficult opponents they could in this situation. While they had a massive type advantage, they were literally standing on the opponent's element.

Not to mention the three sisters had grown up together, battled together, and raised their Pokemon together. On top of that, they were _synchronized_ swimmers, working together came natural for them. A triple battle was going to be simple for them.

The crowd cheered as the Pokemon appeared. Gaining volume when they saw the Guardian's rare Shiny Lucario.

The referee saw the trainers were all ready, and started the match. "Begin!"

"Togetic, Magical Leaf on Dewgong," Hinata started.

Togetic's eyes flashed blue for a moment, and a flurry of green glowing leaves appeared, flying quickly at the Dewgong.

"Cloyster jump in front of it and use Protect," Violet called out to her Cloyster.

The Pokemon responded, hopping over to Dewgong's platform and using Protect. A bright green barrier appeared between Cloyster and the opposing attack, deflecting the barrage of glowing leaves.

Lily used the opportunity to attack, "Dewgong use Icy Wind!"

Dewgong opened its mouth, and released a strong blue wind laced with snow at the challenger's Pokemon.

The attack hit all three Pokemon, doing some damage to Togetic and Breloom, thanks to a type advantage.

Frowning at the first attack, Naruto began their strategy. They had little chance if they allowed the three sisters to maintain teamwork so they stuck to a simple, but effective strategy.

Divide and Conquer.

He nodded to Leaf, and she prepared for her own part. Then commanded Grace, "Use Quick Attack on Cloyster to get over there."

Grace shot off the platform, sending waves throughout the pool, as she covered herself in a Quick Attack and leaped across the water, heading toward Cloyster.

Leaf took this moment to do her own part, to separate one of the Pokemon.

"Breloom use Mind Reader, then use Spore on Seaking!"

Breloom's eyes glowed as she read her opponent's movements, and launched her Spore where she knew it would hit, guaranteeing a successful attack. The cloud of spores rained down on the Seaking, putting it to sleep instantly, and causing it to float along the surface of the water.

Leaf smiled widely, "Use Leech Seed, and pull the Seaking toward you!"

Breloom fired her Leech Seed on her own platform, controlling the vines to travel across the water and wrap around the sleeping Pokemon. The vines glowed for a moment as they leeched life from the Seaking, and begun pulling it toward her platform.

"No! Seaking wake up!" Daisy cried, as her Pokemon floated toward Breloom.

"Wake-up Slap!" Leaf commanded.

Breloom reached down and lashed out with her claws, striking Seaking viciously across the face. The move doubled in damage, as the Seaking was asleep, and rosed the Pokemon from its slumber.

"Mach Punch, while it is still close!" Leaf kept up her combo.

Breloom's fist covered itself in a white orb, and she quickly threw the punch before Seaking could react. The attack struck Seaking hard, fully waking up the Water-Pokemon.

"Seaking use Flail and get yourself out of there!" Daisy shouted.

Seaking started flailing around quickly, knocking back Breloom, and loosening the vines that constricted it. As soon as it had a chance, it slipped out of its restraints and swam back across the field.

Daisy's face shown with relief, "Now use Aqua Ring!"

The Seaking surrounded itself in three rings of water, slowly healing some of its injuries.

Daisy smirked as she saw the other side of the field, "Seaking use Dive!"

Her Pokemon quickly sunk under the water's surface, out of reach of the Breloom.

Leaf was confused until she heard the voice of Naruto.

"Leaf, look out!"

* * *

 **A Few Moments Earlier.**

Grace shot off the platform, sending waves throughout the pool, as she covered herself in a Quick Attack and leaped across the water, heading toward Cloyster.

"Keep your Protect up Cloyster!" Violet called out.

Her Pokemon complied, and maintained its green energy shield, bracing itself for the incoming attack.

As Grace came down on them, she hit the shield hard, pushing the platform slightly into the water and kicking up waves. "Use feint!" She heard her Master call, and channeled her Aura into her fists. She struck the barrier again, shattering it and landing her next blow onto the Cloyster.

"Now Force Palm!" Naruto capitalized on the opening he had created by destroying the shield.

"Cloyster Withdraw quickly!" Violet called to her Pokemon.

Cloyster snapped its shell shut, right when Grace placed a palm against it. She fired a large blast from her palm, exploding against the Cloyster and doing heavy damage, despite the strong defense.

Cloyster flew backward, and crashed into the pool, sinking below the water's surface. That left Grace and Dewgong alone on the platform.

"Dewgong use Aurora Beam!" Lily ordered.

"Togetic, Follow Me and dodge it." Hinata countered.

Togetic glowed, and captured Dewgong's attention, forcing the Ice-type to target her. The Dewgong pointed its horn at Togetic, and fired a bright multi-colored beam across the water field. Togetic was prepared for the attack, and effortlessly flew to the side.

While Dewgong was launching its attack, Grace had got in close, already preparing for her Master's next order.

"Grace use Power-up Punch!" Naruto called out.

She caught the Dewgong by surprise, and coated her fist in an orange Aura, then struck her opponent hard. Dewgong recoiled, and cried out as the attack landed.

"Dewgong Ice Shard on Lucario!" Lily called out a bit desperate.

Her Pokemon responded, generating a large ball of Ice above its horn and firing it at Grace.

The priority move was too fast and too close to dodge so Grace took the full blow, launching her off the platform and above the water.

Lily smirked victoriously as she watched the Lucario fly above the water's surface. _'Once she sinks under, it's all over. You can't beat the Sensational Sisters while in the water.'_ She thought to herself.

The crowd all let out gasps of surprise at what they saw next.

Instead of crashing into the surface of the water, like everyone had been prepared for, Grace elegantly flipped herself halfway over, and channeled her Aura into her paws. Reaching out quickly, she placed a paw on the water's surface balancing on it as if it were solid for a moment, before pushing off and flipping the rest of the way. She landed gracefully, standing on the water with no trouble at all.

Grace and Naruto had matching smirks as they observed the baffled expressions of their opponent's and the shocked silence of the crowd.

"Aura Sphere, Grace!"

She prepared her attack without hesitation, gathering the Sphere in her hand quickly, and firing it at her opponent.

"Use Ice-beam!"

Dewgong prepared its own attack, forming a blue ball above its horn. The ball grew larger, and shot multiple light blue beams toward Grace.

The attacks flew past each other, striking their respective targets. Grace cried out from the strong attack, but didn't lose her balance on the water. Dewgong had a worse experience, the super-effective attack smashed into in, dealing a heavy amount of damage and almost knocking it off the platform.

Grace didn't have a moment to rest, as Violet re-entered the battle. "Use Whirlpool Cloyster!" She called out, knowing her Pokemon was listening from underwater.

The Cloyster controlling the water from the bottom of the pool, rapidly spinning it into a massive whirlpool. Grace was unprepared for the attack and began to struggle to maintain balance, as the water swirled and started getting stronger. Before long, her Aura wasn't enough to keep her afloat and she fell beneath the water, swept up in the powerful current.

Naruto clenched his fists and bit his lip as he looked at the large whirlpool taking up their side of the field. While he was worried for his Pokemon, there wasn't anything he could do besides wait it out or hope Grace found a way to escape.

Hinata went on the offensive, now that Grace had been trapped, "Use Magical Leaf on Cloyster."

Togetic launched her attack, the glowing leaves breaking the water's surface, honing in on their target. The Aura coating the leaves protected it from water resistance, and allowed the leaves to cut through the whirlpool without losing any strength. The leaves flew beneath the water, and found their target at the bottom of the pool, battering the Cloyster relentlessly.

"Dewgong use Ice-beam on Togetic!" Lily called out, intent on stopping the Togetic now that she was wide open.

The beam shot across the field before Togetic could stop her own attack, and made a direct impact. The Ice-move was super-effective, and did a massive amount of damage to Hinata's Partner. Togetic cried out as she was blasted back into the platform in front of Hinata, and took another moment to get back to her feet.

"No! Seaking wake up!" The voice of Daisy drew the attention of the four Trainers.

They looked over just in time to see Leaf launch a vicious combo against a sleeping Seaking. The Seaking was forcefully woken, and managed to slip out of its constraints.

Violet saw her sister's predicament and realized what their opponents were doing. She decided to break up their plan as best she could.

"Cloyster surface, and use Shell Smash!" Violet called out.

Both of the remaining sisters saw the plan, and begun their own part.

"Dewgong use Dive!"

"Seaking use Dive!"

The two Pokemon slipped beneath the waves, careful not to be pulled into the whirlpool, and prepared their attacks from underwater.

Cloyster glowed an angry red, and shattered a layer of its shell, decreasing its defense but drastically increasing its attack.

Violet smirked, now she had them. "Use Surf!"

Naruto saw the danger, and called out to Leaf, "Leaf, look out!"

She looked over just in time to see Cloyster summon a massive, towering wave from the water. She panicked for a moment, as she had nothing that could defend from the large attack, and watched helplessly as it headed toward her.

The massive wave enveloped the field, and crashed into both Breloom and Togetic. Slamming them harshly into the water, and pulling them beneath the surface. Cloyster swam back across the field, and hopped back onto the platform in front of its Trainer, waiting for its next orders.

Breloom and Togetic both pulled themselves out of the water, and scrambled back onto the platforms.

But the attack wasn't over yet, and suddenly, Seaking and Dewgong burst from the water themselves, and lashed out with their own attacks.

Seaking crashed into Breloom, paying her back for earlier, and bounced back into the water, waiting for another order. Dewgong slammed into the now-weakened Togetic, dealing yet another heavy blow to its opponent, and remained on the platform.

All Pokemon were visibly on their last legs. Each covered in their own set of cuts and bruises, exhausted from the continuous use of attacks.

Naruto was worried for his Partner and used his Aura Sight to search under the water, he didn't feel bad for using it since they were basically advertising the Order in this match. He searched for his Partner under the waves, and smirked at what he saw.

The Sisters were ready to continue their attack, now that they had the advantage, but stopped short when they heard a loud laugh echo throughout the battlefield. They looked up to see a smirking Naruto, looking very happy about something.

"Now Grace!" He called out.

The Cloyster had inadvertently stopped the Whirlpool that had trapped Grace when it used Surf. Allowing her to get into a position that would give her a free attack.

Grace burst from the water on the opposite side of the field, directly behind Cloyster. She was cloaked in a thick red energy, and lashed out with a set of powerful attacks to the Cloyster's back.

Reversal. An attack that does more damage the lower the assailant's health. Combined with the type advantage against an Ice-type and the lowered defense from the Shell Smash, it was no surprise when Grace finished her combo, and Cloyster collapsed.

Grace fell to one knee on the platform, exhausted from the fierce attack, and the constant struggle against the whirlpool. Her injuries were catching up to her, but she wasn't ready to give up yet, and glared across the water field at the remaining two Pokemon.

"Cloyster is unable to battle, Gym Leader recall your Pokemon." The referee called out.

Violet recalled her Pokemon with a small smile, while she was disappointed about being defeated, she wasn't that upset about losing to her own fault.

Leaf took advantage of the momentary silence, "Breloom use Mach Punch on Dewgong!"

Breloom complied, and used the speed granted by the Mach Punch to leap across to the platform Togetic and Dewgong were both resting on. Punching quickly, before the Dewgong could react.

"Dewgong is unable to battle, Gym Leader recall your Pokemon." The referee called again, as the Dewgong collapsed with swirls in its eyes.

Daisy watched on sadly as her two sisters were defeated, she had to hand it to her opponents, they were good. Their teamwork seemed to be lacking a bit, as they didn't really coordinate their moves, but for rookies, they were amazing. They had told her that this was going to be their first Triple battle, so she was expecting to defeat them rather easily. Instead, they were repeatedly caught off-guard by these Guardians, and were struggling to defeat them.

She brought her mind back to the fight, she knew the match was pretty much decided, with her two sisters down she was in a one versus three. Even if her opponents were weakened, her Seaking had taken a large amount of damage from that trap she got caught in. Still, she'd try to take at least one of them down with her.

"Seaking! Use Waterfall!" She called out.

Seaking's eyes glowed a bright blue for a moment, and besides a loud swirling sound, nothing appeared to happen.

Then, suddenly, a column of water burst from the surface, carrying the Seaking alongside it. The water shot up high, before redirecting itself into an arc and shooting toward Togepi and Breloom. The powerful stream crashed into the platform with the force of a cannon, strong enough to sink both Pokemon and the platform itself below the water's surface.

The stadium went quiet for a moment, as they waited for the Pokemon to appear. A moment passed, and the platform re-emerged from the water, carrying a fainted Togetic and a wounded Breloom.

"Togetic is unable to battle, Challenger, recall your Pokemon."

Hinata recalled her Pokemon with a small smile, "You did wonderful Togetic. Thank you." She said gently as she hid the ball back into her sleeve.

"Breloom, Mega Drain!" Leaf called out, prepared to get payback for fainting Hinata's Pokemon.

"Grace, Aura Sphere!" Naruto called out, intending to end it here.

Breloom fired a bright green beam, ensaring Seaking inside, and sapping its energy.

Grace got back on her feet, she was soaking wet and breathing heavily, but she was determined to end it with one last attack. She fired another Aura Sphere from the opposite side of the field, striking Seaking in the back.

The double assault proved too much for the Seaking, and it fainted, floating belly-up in the water with swirls in its eyes.

"Seaking is unable to battle. The Challengers are the winners!" The referee announced.

The crowd let out a stadium-shaking roar, as they cheered for the victors. There had rarely been a Pokemon Battle watched by a crowd in the Cerulean Gym, and this had been the first ever Triple Battle the Gym had participated in, so the crowd went wild with excitement, happy to have caught the match live.

The group recalled their Pokemon, giving them a bit of rest before they were brought to the Pokemon Center.

They stepped down from their Trainer's box, and headed over to the side of the field where the Trio of Sisters were already waiting.

They were met with wide smiles from all three.

"That battle was so great!" Daisy said.

"Totally!" Violet and Lily said in unison. They looked at each other for a moment and laughed at themselves.

"Seriously though, we haven't had that much fun in a battle since like, the last time we battled with Misty." Lily said with happiness.

"For real! And the battle sent some big waves through the crowd, it made a bigger splash than our Water Shows!" Violet threw in a water pun.

The referee walked over and handed Daisy a small box."Well, you totally deserve this," She said as she turned to them and opened the box. Three small blue water-drop shaped Badges were displayed inside. "Here is the Cascade Badge, congratulations. Most Trainers wouldn't stand a chance between the Syncronized Battling of the Sensational Sisters, but you totally owned us."

The group each took one Badge from the case, and added them to their own Badge Cases.

Naruto gave the Sisters a big smile, "That was so much fun! Thanks a lot for the battle!" He said cheerfully.

Leaf nodded vigorously in agreement, "I had a lot of fun too! I've never even had a Double Battle before so that was crazy!"

Hinata smiled as well, walking over to Naruto to latch onto his arm, "I enjoyed it as well. I'm happy with the experience Togetic gained, I wasn't expecting to have to battle alongside someone else so early." She said as she ignored the jealous looks the three sisters were sending her.

"Well, don't be a stranger. Feel free to come back anytime, Naruto." Daisy said with a slightly promising tone. Her two Sisters nodded in agreement, as the group said their goodbyes.

Naruto gave them one last cheeky smile, "I might just do that." He'd honestly consider it, while their prissy attitude seemed a bit annoying at first, they were pretty cool once you got past it. Not to mention they were Sisters. He was a teenager dammit! And they were _Sisters!_

The group bid them farewell and headed for the exit quickly. The crowd was preparing to leave and they really didn't want to get stopped by a bunch of random people.

He sped up to get in front of them and started walking backwards with his hands on the back of his head. He smiled at his girls as they walked out of the Gym, "We got the Cascade Badge! One more Gym down!"

Leaf bounced a bit in excitement, "Yeah, that was awesome! It was so fun battling with you guys! And where the heck did you get these costumes Naruto? How'd you get my sizes anyway? Can I keep this?" She started babbling again, as she twirled around in her Guardian Skirt.

Naruto gave a light laugh, "Yeah I had it made for you anyway, so it's yours. I got it from Mom, she makes clothes all the time, sort of a hobby of hers, so I told her my idea and she finished these outfits in record time. As for the sizes, that was some Aura wizardry. It automatically matched your size when you put it on, so it'll fit perfectly." The technique was an invention of his, and one of his favorites, mainly because his Mother was over the moon when she learned how to do it.

Hinata had a big smile as she straightens out her Kimono, "I love mine too! I only sent Kushina some vague descriptions, but I never thought it would come out this perfect! But where are we going next? There are Gyms in Vermilion and Celadon, so we could go to either."

Naruto had a big smirk, "We should definitely go to..."

* * *

 **Author's Notes (Minor Spoilers/Ideas)**

Chapter 5 complete.

You got a taste of some lemon, that was me experimenting, hopefully, you enjoyed it. I liked the Triple Battle, I'm pretty sure that was completely unique, I've never seen anyone do a Triple Battle in a Gym Challenge. You also got some minor symbolism, with the Triple Battle serving as a representation of the Three starting their relationship. I thought it was cute.

This one's a bit shorter, I cut it off a bit at the end because I plan on having the next Chapter potentially include the third and **Final** traveling companion. Before you start panicking, it's **not** going to be the end of the Harem, and he will get more companions later for other regions, but this is the final one for Kanto, besides maybe some temporary companions.

Don't forget to review! Even if you have already reviewed on a previous Chapters don't be afraid to write another! It doesn't have to be long or complicated, just let me hear whatever came to your mind when you read this Chapter. I absolutely love all of your reviews and read them all. It gets me in the mood to write more so you get more Chapters faster, and helps me sort through various ideas. And anytime I see a great idea, I immediately brainstorm how it would affect the story, and if I want to put it in.

To put it into perspective. Skadi's name and Typing, Hinata's Fairy/Dragon team, some good suggestions for Leaf's team, and almost all of my planned Harem members are coming from **reviews!**

Pokemon suggestions are always nice! If you have a favorite Pokemon, especially a Grass/Fairy/Dragon Type, then please mention it in your review! I'm still looking for some Pokemon for all of the members of the Group. Naruto in particular needs Water/Grass/Fire/Electric to get a solid foundation, other types are good too, so give me ideas!

So, the Harem. The Girls are going to be bi-sexual, I've seen some people get mad at this but hear me out.

First off, Hinata is a pervert, she will always be one in my mind, and she is one in this story. So it would be hard for Leaf not to experiment with girls at least a little, when Hinata is being very obvious about her attraction to Leaf.

Secondly, this is a _Harem_ , a multi-person relationship. This is not Naruto in three individual relationships with three girls, this is Naruto in a relationship with _all_ of the girls, and I don't want to have to separate them like that. In my mind, The Lemon Sage captures the idea of the Harem perfectly. The girls aren't going to be having sex with each other all the time, but they will be attracted to each other. Their focus in the relationship will be Naruto.

Speaking of Harem members, its time to choose! Final chance for a third traveling companion. Your Choices are: Jessie, May, and Solidad. Let me give you the run-down.

 **May** – May will be a Gym-Leader in Training, from Hoenn. Sent here by her Father, Norman. She is in Kanto to observe the various Gym Leaders to give her an idea of what kind she wants to be, and how they operate. She will be learning from the Group's Gym Battles, and traveling alongside them on their Journey. Her team will be small, probably just her starter and one or two more, and won't do much battling. This choice gives the least variety to the group, as all four will be battlers, but it could still be fun and May is a great character. She definitely seems like the kind of girl that would get along with Naruto.

 **Jessie** – Jessie is a Former Rocket Grunt, captured by the Order, and convinced to join. She was forgiven for her crimes due to that fact that she has Aura, which proves her crimes were of necessity, rather than her just being plain evil, and the fact that she didn't actually successfully steal any Pokemon. The only real crime she did was stealing Robot Parts from a warehouse, and some _attempts_ at poaching. She will join the group on the orders of Kushina, to travel with Naruto and serve as his Squire. She will be slightly timid at first, Naruto _did_ destroy her Pokemon in a battle and she had attacked him so she has a right to be frightened around him. But she will warm up to the group. If this option is chosen, she will be in the Harem, and James will either stay at the Order as a solo Knight or get shipped off, never seen again. With Jessie, I could go either way, toward battling or Coordinator, but if she gets chosen it will most likely be Coordinating. It aligns with Canon and feels truer to her personality. So more variety, neat!

 **Solidad** – Solidad is an aspiring Kanto Coordinator, aiming for Kanto's Grand Festival. Yes, Kanto has a Grand Festival, people seemed to miss this bit. The group will go to see one of the local Contests, and bump into her there. She finds herself admiring the beautiful Pokemon that the group has, and joins them for inspiration. She will be more mature, combined with her contests, adds a nice variety to the group. Contests could be fun, it provides something new and takes a break from the constant Gym Battling. I get a bit of free reign with her Pokemon Team and her personality, as she is only minorly shown in the Anime. Both of which are always fun for me as a writer, it lets me make a character I _know_ I will enjoy writing. I might make her name a Family Name and give her a new one, something like Samantha Solidad, simply because I don't really like the name Solidad. She is rare, so that's exciting, I don't think I've seen her paired with anyone before, so it'll be unique.

I̶'̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶o̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶P̶r̶o̶f̶i̶l̶e̶,̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶g̶o̶ ̶v̶o̶t̶e̶!̶

The Poll is closed -12/12/18


	6. A Will of Fire!

Chapter Six: A Will of Fire!

The Group had just finished their Cerulean City Gym Battle and made their way back to the Pokemon Center. Planning on getting their Pokemon healed up and to get a good night's rest.

Nurse Joy saw the Group arrive at the counter, and smiled brightly at them, "Did the Battle go well?"

Naruto gave a smirk and a nod, as he reached into his Trenchcoat to pull out his Badge Case with a flourish. He opened it and showed off his Cascade Badge, "You bet it did! It was a tough fight, but we all managed to get a Badge!"

Nurse Joy clapped happily, "I'm happy for you! You guys definitely deserved it, I don't think I've ever seen a group of Trainers so dedicated to their training." She pulled out a tray for the Group's Pokeballs, "I'm sure you need to heal up your Pokemon after that Battle, I'll be sure to make them good as new!"

The group gave Nurse Joy their Pokemon and headed to their room for the night, they had spent the day training and battling so they were rather tired.

* * *

Leaf collapsed face-first into Naruto's bed the moment they entered the room, not even bothering to take off her suit.

"Man that was exhausting, I didn't think battling in front of a crowd would be so stressful." She moaned into a pillow.

Naruto laughed at her as he removed his bag and Trenchcoat, setting them by the window. "You handled it really well, I couldn't even tell if you were nervous or not."

Hinata sat down on her own bed, "It was a bit nerve-racking. Although, I forgot about the crowd the moment the battle began." She said innocently. Completely missing the deadpan stares of her two companions.

 _'I'm beginning to think she's fully aware of that split personality and she just uses it to mess with us'_ Naruto shook his head, and sat down next to Leaf on his bed.

Naruto took a moment to go back over the battle in his head, and decided to voice his thoughts. "Still, the battle was a lot closer than it should have been," He started, "We all had Type advantages, and it we still ended it with our Pokemon barely standing." He frowned, as he thought back to the battle.

Even Grace was forced to use Reversal, a move she had specifically avoided learning during her training as a Riolu. It wasn't that she hated the move, it just didn't really match her style. Reversal was an all-out attack, fit more for an aggressive style, Grace preferred to simply avoid damage altogether.

"We'll have to work on that soon. I'm not sure if we'll ever have to Double or Triple Battle again, but it's still a good thing to practice." He said, already thinking of some moves he could add to Grace's skillset for Double Battles. Protect was extremely useful, and was shown clearly by Cloyster in their battle.

Not to mention it would be good training for battling Team Rocket, from what he understood, Rocket Grunts always traveled in groups, like the pair he took down in Viridian. The Order would need to know how to work together if they wanted to fight these criminal groups.

Leaf and Hinata both nodded in agreement, they had their own problems with the battle. Neither had been prepared to deal with that Surf, and it almost ended the battle prematurely. It was only due to Breloom and Grace's fortitude that they managed to continue.

"But we did well for our first try. With only a day of experience, we managed to defeat _Gym Leaders_ in a Triple Battle, I doubt anyone else could say the same." Hinata said happily. She frowned when she saw Naruto only nod, still thinking about the battle. A plan formed in her mind, and she decided to distract him in the best way possible.

She rose off of her bed and sauntered over to him, placing a hand on his chest she lightly pushed him down onto the bed.

"Hinata?" He said surprised, as she slowly climbed up on top of him.

"I believe you promised us something last night, Naruto." She purred and leaned down to plant a kiss on his lips.

Yes, he did. So Naruto immediately kissed her back with more passion, slipping his hands behind her to squeeze her large ass. Despite the Kimono that was covering Hinata's ass, Naruto could still feel the softness and played with it to his heart's content.

Hinata let out a moan while she deepened the kiss, and pressed herself against his chest. She started grinding her own body against his crotch, feeling herself start to get wet as her body heated up. She leaned up from the kiss, and straddled his waist, rubbing herself harder against him. She felt his erection start to strain against his pants, and let out an internal cheer. She let out a longer moan, to tease Naruto, and placed her hands against his chest. She grabbed the zipper that ran down the center of his vest, and dragged it down.

Naruto took the cue, and pulled himself out of his vest, tossing it on the floor. He looked up at Hinata, and found himself appreciating her beauty. Slightly glazed, lavender eyes looked down at him with love, and her light moans tickled his ears. She was still dressed in her Kimono, that had been modeled after his own outfit, but she looked slightly more disheveled now and her Kimono had been opened, leaving a generous amount of her cleavage exposed to Naruto's eyes. Naruto couldn't resist and reached up with his right hand to grab a handful of her large breasts. He realized something rather crucial when he felt the pillowy softness of Hinata's boobs.

She wasn't wearing any underwear.

Had she gone commando through that whole battle?

The thought got him even more turned on, and he started groping her even more aggressively. He reached for the knot that tied her Kimono closed, and looked up to her, asking a silent question. Seeing her give a timid nod, he undid the knot, and reached up to expose Hinata's chest. The Kimono slipped off her shoulders and fell down to her waist, revealing her upper-body to Naruto's hungry gaze. He took a moment to burn the image of Hinata's massive breasts into his mind, they were an attractive milky white, matching her pale complexion, with two cute pink nipples sticking out. He trailed his hands back up her sides, and latched onto her breasts.

"How are your tits so big Hinata? You're only sixteen!" He said as he watched visibly amazed as her titty-flesh spilled out between his fingers. He reached for the small pink nubs, and pinched Hinata's nipples lightly.

She let out another moan, "I don't know, every girl in my family has large breasts. Even Hanabi is starting to show." She sped up her motions, trying to pay Naruto back for his fondling, and rubbed herself into his erection, starting to feel the pleasure even through her Kimono.

Leaf made her presence known, and appeared behind Hinata. She had already stripped out of her suit, when she noticed they were getting heated. She was left in her navy-blue undershirt that was clinging to her petite breasts, her flaming skirt, and her pair of black socks. She wrapped her arms around the Hinata's waist, and kissed her neck. "You weren't going to leave me out of this, were you Hinata?" She gave a playful pout, and turned Hinata's face to meet hers. Leaf initiated the kiss this time, and softly held their lips together.

Hinata broke away from the kiss with a blissful smile, "I wouldn't dream of it," She said teasingly, "I was just waiting for you to join." Hinata took the moment to slip out of Naruto's grasp and push Leaf down on the bed. She recreated the position from the previous night, and got on all fours on top of the younger girl. She hooked their ankles together once more, and spread Leaf's legs. She looked back at a stunned Naruto, and wiggled her hips, causing the Kimono to finally slip the rest of the way off, exposing her large ass, and a pair of dark-blue panties, visibly wet. She slipped her legs out and kicked it off the bed, before looking back down at Leaf.

"You know, it's not very fair that we are the only ones shirtless!" She said as she flew through the buttons on Leaf's top, before throwing it onto the ever-growing pile of clothing. Now Leaf was the one exposed, with only a small white bra hiding her cute boobs. Hinata looked back at Naruto, and wiggled her ass again, "Naruto, aren't you going to come join us?" She said with a sultry tone, her ass beckoning Naruto over.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice, and slipped out of his pants, leaving him clad in only a pair of boxers. He slipped over to the pair, and let his hands roam over Hinata's ass, taking an extra moment to let his hands wander, before he started grabbing and kneading the flesh. The tiny pair of panties she was wearing left just enough of her ass exposed to tease him, while still concealing what laid beneath. Naruto had decided he had enough of waiting, and slipped his hand over Hinata's pussy lips, rubbing the wetness through the fabric.

Hinata let out a startled moan, and latched her lips back onto Leaf, slipping her tongue into Leaf's mouth. She swirled her tongue around Leaf's and let her hands slip underneath Leaf's back, reaching for the bra's hook. The bra joined the pile on the floor, and Hinata wasted no time in groping Leaf's perky breasts. "Your titties are so cute Leaf!" She smiled widely as she tried to emulate what Naruto had done to her, and massage Leaf's boobs. Soon enough both girls were moaning into each other, as they squirmed from the pleasure.

Naruto's mouth grew dry as he heard the two girls start to kiss and moan. Luckily he knew just how to fix that problem. He reached up to Hinata's waist, and hooked his fingers through the band of the panties, and slowly slid them down. She shivered as her wet pussy became exposed to the air, and Naruto's eyes. He leaned down and spread the pink lips, taking in full view of Hinata's most private place, before taking in a breath of Hinata's arousal. He dove in, using his tongue to lap up Hinata's love juices, and ate her out. He idly discovered that Hinata tasted sweet, and reached up to hold her waist still, to stop her from squirming too much.

Hinata let out a small shriek as she shook from the pleasure, "Oooh, more Naruto! Keep going!" She moaned out as she rubbed her ass back into Naruto's face.

Hinata shook and shivered, as she felt Naruto lick at her pussy and suck on her clit. She moaned louder and pressed her chest against Leaf's rubbing their hardened nipples together. She continued to make out with Leaf and trailed a hand down the girl's body. She slipped underneath the waistband of Leaf's skirt and into her panties. Rubbing quickly at her lower lips, Hinata tried her best to give Leaf some of the pleasure she was feeling.

The two girls rubbed together faster, and their moans gained volume as they reached their climax. Hinata came first, separating from the kiss so she could scream her release, and pinched at Leaf's clit. The sudden pleasure triggered Leaf's own climax, and she came just as hard as Hinata did, holding onto the larger girl as they both moaned loudly.

Naruto was quite pleased with himself as he watched the two girls squirm and rub together. He delighted in their moans and his dick strained against his boxers. They both went limp and collapsed together, panting and shivering as they came down from their orgasms. Naruto took this moment to get out of his boxers and moved on to the next step.

He rubbed a hand against Hinata's ass, and guided his dick to her pussy lips, sliding against them to get her attention. "Are you ready Hinata?"

She whined and rubbed herself back against him, "I've been ready for years Naruto! Just fuck me already!"

Naruto smiled and rubbed his dick against her lips, using the juices to lubricate himself. He lined himself up with her, and slowly pushed himself into her cunt. He stopped when he felt her barrier, and was going to break it gently, when Hinata slammed herself back against his hips, breaking her own hymen. She let out a small shriek, mixed with pleasure and a bit of pain, and latched onto the girl under her.

Naruto let out a large groan as Hinata forced him to go deeper. "Shit, you're tight, Hinata!" She was clamping down on him hard, as they both reveled in the new sensations. They stayed like that for a moment, getting used to the feeling, before Hinata grew impatient.

She let out a small mewl, and tried to thrust back against him. Naruto got the hint, and placed his hands on her hips as he started moving. He thrust into her, speeding up as she started to moan and shake under him.

"F-Fuck Naruto! You're so big!" She moaned, and had her attention pulled to Leaf. The younger girl wanted to help, and latched her mouth onto Hinata's bouncing breasts. Sucking on a pink nipple, she used her free hand to squeeze and massage the large boob. She alternated between them, doing her best to increase Hinata's pleasure.

Hinata let out another shriek as Leaf pulled back for a moment to pinch both of her nipples, "Oh~! Keep going!" She moaned to both of them as she was double teamed.

Hinata's hot, wet walls shivered and spasmed in delight as he continued to push deeper. He pounded into her harder, and felt her pussy contract and shiver as he bumped his bulbous head against her cervix.

"God, Hinata. I've wanted to do this for so long," He admitted, as he added more power to his thrusts, and watched as ripples were sent through Hinata's large ass with every pump. His hips made loud smacks against hers as he pounded into her. He sped himself up again as he felt his orgasm approach, "Gonna cum, Hinata!" He growled out.

"Me too! Inside me!" Hinata broke out of Leaf's grasp and arched her back as she reached a toe-curling orgasm.

Naruto groaned as Hinata's walls massaged his dick through her orgasm, and reached out to grab the breasts that Leaf had released. He pulled her up against his chest, and turned her face to capture her lips in a hungry kiss. Her climax set off his own, and he slammed himself to the hilt inside her, and came hard.

They both deepened the kiss as they rode out their orgasms. They basked in the after-glow staying connected for a while, before they pulled away.

Hinata sighed and leaned back against his chest, "I love you Naruto," She said gently as she slowly rocked herself back against his dick, drawing out the pleasure.

Naruto smiled widely, and kissed her neck, "I love you too Hinata," He whispered into her ear, and gave her breasts a big squeeze, "And you're mine now." He said possessively.

She shivered at his tone, and mewled against him. Then looked down at the blushing girl beneath her, and smiled at her. "Your turn Leaf," She moaned out as she slid Naruto's cock out of her and collapsed on the bed. She crawled over to the side of the bed to get a good view, and started to lightly touch her over-sensitive pussy as she waited for Leaf to get her turn. She was content to take a small break while Naruto had his way with their other partner.

Leaf blushed nervously, and slipped herself out of her skirt and panties. Naruto had sat down and leaned his back against the wall, so she climbed over to him and straddled his lap again.

Naruto took control and gave her a gentle kiss, idly tasting Hinata on her lips, as he used one hand to massage her wet vagina. He reached behind her with his other, and squeezed her cute butt. She was smaller than Hinata, but no less attractive, and in his eyes, her cute frame just added to her appeal. He stayed like that for a while, diverting his efforts between kissing her, and massaging her pussy and ass.

Leaf let out a moan as she let his tongue enter her mouth, and kissed him back while she enjoyed his hands bringing her pleasure. She pulled back for a moment, "I-I think I'm ready, watching you two got me seriously turned on." She said as she lined up his cock to her small slit. She stayed there, with his head pressing against her lower lips, and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him take control.

Naruto nodded, and placed his hands on her hips to gently guide her down. They both let out a moan as his head popped inside her wet walls, and started making its way through. Naruto felt her shiver as he entered her, and stopped once he felt a barrier.

She looked back at him and gave a timid nod, "D-Do it. Take me." She whimpered.

Naruto gave another nod, and pulled her down, breaking through her maidenhood. He wrapped his arms around her back, and gently kissed her to distract from the pain. He saw tears gathering in her eyes, and trailed kisses along her face, running his hands across her back.

She was tight, a bit tighter than Hinata, due to her smaller body, and constricted pleasurably around his member. He had to resist thrusting away at her, and gave her a moment to calm down.

She got used to the feeling after a minute, and gave him another nod, "You can move now," She smiled when she felt his pulsing member twitch in response.

He grabbed a hold of her ass, and started slowly thrusting up into her. They started gently, and slowly rocked themselves against each other as they thoroughly enjoyed the sensations they were giving each other.

Leaf moaned as the pleasure overrode the pain, and she started to gyrate her own hips against his. She leaned back and arched her back as the pleasure increased, and she thrust her hips down to meet Naruto's.

She became more vocal with her pleasure, loudly giving moans and shrieks when Naruto would hit a deeper spot, "Faster Naruto!" She called out.

Naruto complied, and used his grip on her ass to lift her up and drop her down on his dick. He sped up his thrusts, and locked his gaze on her two cute tits, jumping around erratically everytime he bounced Leaf on his cock. He leaned forward and latched onto one with his mouth, sucking on the nipple as he fucked her. He swirled his tongue around the edge, and lightly nipped at her tits as he played with her breasts.

Leaf ran her fingers through his spiky blonde hair as she pushed his head further into her breasts, loving the attention he was giving her.

His grip on her ass tightened, as he felt her pussy walls twitch around him, and he knew she was close. He thrust up into her even harder, and felt his own orgasm approaching.

"Oh, fuck" He growled out as he released her breast from his mouth.

He slammed into her one final time, and crashed against her cervix as they came together. He leaned up to meet her lips in a fierce kiss as their orgasms hit, and cut off her scream with his mouth.

She held onto him fiercely as she shook and trembled from her first heavy orgasm. The pleasure nearly overwhelmed her, and she kissed him back as they rode out their climaxes.

"Man, that was amazing." She said as they separated.

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that felt insanely good." He said as he idly continued to play with Leaf's butt.

Naruto pulled Leaf off of him and looked over to Hinata. She had a wide smirk and was still lazily touching herself as she watched them both.

He noticed he was still erect and pulled Hinata back over to him to start the next round.

* * *

 **A Few Days Later.**

The group set off from Cerulean City to their next destination. Vermillion City.

They were taking their time along Route 6, they had just finished their second Gym so they were going to need to take a break to train up for the next Badge anyway.

So, they were slowly making their way down Route 6, battling the various Trainers they came across. Leaf and Hinata took the majority of the battles, with Naruto taking a few for his newer Pokemon to get some experience. He mainly used Serket, as he hadn't had a chance to start Skadi's training, but Scylla also got to crush some unsuspecting Trainers along the way.

"So what's the next Gym specialize in, Naruto?" Leaf asked as they walked along the path.

Naruto smiled widely, "Lt. Surge! He specializes in Electric-types, and his Gym is themed around it." He said as he thought back to his fellow blonde. "He's really strong, but you shouldn't have too much trouble as a Grass Trainer."

Leaf hummed in thought, "You sound like you know him?" She questioned.

Naruto nodded, "Yep! A couple years back he was pretty arrogant, and actually harmed his challenger's Pokemon pretty bad."

Leaf let out a gasp, "Didn't the League do inspections? How did he keep his Gym?"

Naruto let out a sigh, "Well he was in a sort of grey-zone in the rules, while he was hurting Pokemon, it was mainly the Trainer's fault for challenging him with weaker Pokemon, like a newly-caught Pidgey. So all the inspector could really do was tell him to tone it down," Naruto explained.

"After a while, he grew a bit bored, and started traveling around a bit to look for a challenge. He heard about the Order and went to go pick a fight with some of our Knights. Mom had heard the commotion and went over to check it out. He said he wasn't going to leave without a fight, so Mom obliged with her own Team." Naruto let out a laugh as he remembered the battle, "Unfortunately for Surge, he wasn't prepared for Mom's Uzumaki Temper and he got his ass handed to him." He smiled at the memory of his Mother tearing straight through the Gym Leader's Team. She was an Aura Master, and had a Pokemon Team to back her title up. "Seeing his own Pokemon get destroyed, sobered him up quick, and he hung around the Order for a while to train, so I got to talk to him a bit."

"Hmm, I don't remember that," Hinata chimed in as she tried to remember the event.

"You probably weren't there, you were busy with your own training." Naruto commented as he pulled out his Dex, "That being said, I still don't know what to expect from Surge, it has been a while since I saw him, and I've only seen his personal team, not his Gym Teirs."

He opened his Dex and pulled up Surge's data page. "Lt Surge, the Lightning Lieutenant, well-known for his power-focused electric types, and fierce training regimen." The stoic voice of the Adjutant informed them.

"Common appearances are Voltorb, Mangnemite, Elekid, and their evolutions. Rarely, he has been known to use a Jolteon, or his own signature Raichu against trainers that he finds worth his effort. Considered one of the strongest of the Common Eight, he is widely considered the best electric-type trainer in Kanto. His Gym is extremely favored within Vermillion City, and he accepts the most Students out of any other Gym in Kanto."

Naruto sweatdropped, "Surge is _teaching_?! I don't know if I should be happy he's calmed down, or feel sorry for those poor trainees." Honestly, Surge had a physical training addiction that even made _him_ blanch.

"This sounds like it could be difficult Naruto, none of us really have any experience with Electric-types," Hinata mentioned. She had her new Tyrunt, but she would need some serious training before she was ready to battle a Gym Leader.

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and I was hoping to use Skadi, if I can prepare her in time." A small yip of agreement came from his shoulder, where the small ice-fox was wrapped around his neck, snugly. "We should find a place to settle down for a while, and get some serious training done."

The Adjutant spoke up from his hand, "Warning: Severe weather conditions are approaching, expect heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds in under one hour."

Well shit.

"Oh, dear. Is there anywhere we can find shelter?" Hinata asked.

"A local Pokemon Center is located further down Route 6." The Adjutant replied.

"We should hurry then!" Leaf said as they increased their pace.

* * *

A little over a half-hour later, and they were overlooking their destination from the hill. The Pokemon center looked very different from the usual hospital-look the ones located in the city did. It had more of a cabin-in-the-woods feel to it, made entirely of wooden logs. It had a lavender slanted roof, with a grey P on the side. Orange light shone through the square windows, providing a welcoming glow against the grey sky.

Thunder rolled in the distance, and they hurried down the hill to enter the safety of the cabin.

They were welcomed in by a chipper Nurse Joy, who didn't seem bothered in the least about the weather, and ushered into a booth by the window. She brought them all a set of hot chocolate to fight off the cold. She smiled happily as she recognized Naruto, before returning to the counter.

The Center was relatively empty, he could see a few groups of Trainers together around the edges of the lodge, each eating and chatting about training. A particularly loud group was sitting on a couch in the very center by a large brazier, drawing the annoyed glares of the surrounding trainers. They did their best to tune them out.

Thunder cracked again, louder this time, as they settled down to eat, and rain started pattering against the window beside them.

Suddenly, the main doors slid open again, and a group of three travelers came in with heavy breaths. It seems they'd been running to get out of the rain. Luckily for them, they had come in just before the rain started to pick up, so they were only slightly wet.

The first one they noticed was the only girl. She seemed to be dressed for a day at the beach, not for a day of traveling through heavy weather. A tiny yellow tanktop covered her chest and left her midriff exposed, with red suspenders attached to an equally tiny pair of jean shorts. Bright orange hair was tied up in a side pony-tail.

The second one could only be described as a Pokemon Trainer. He was dressed in a standard Trainer outfit, that seemed to be a personalized version of the Pokemon League jacket, and shaggy black hair was concealed by an official Pokemon League Trainer cap. A Green pair of fingerless gloves matched his backpack. A simple pair of jeans covered his legs and he wore a pair of sneakers.

Naruto nearly choked on his drink as he recognized the third member. Standing beside them, leaning over to catch his breath, was the Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock Slate. Brock straightened up and scanned the room with his usual squinted eyes. He noticed them with a bit of surprise and waved, "Hey Naruto!"

Brocks two companions seemed a bit confused as they followed him over to the table that Naruto had been settled at.

"Brock!" Naruto said surprised, "What are you doing here? Don't you have the Gym to take care of?"

Brock let out a laugh and waved it off, "It's a long story, but I'm traveling to become a Pokemon Breeder now! Mind if we join you? We just got out of that nasty storm."

Naruto gestured to the open seats across from him, "Go ahead," His ladies were sitting on either side of him so they had plenty of space.

Suddenly Brock was sitting directly across Hinata by the window, and hearts filled his eyes. "Ahhh! My heart has ached for the day we would be reunited– OwOwOw" Brock was interrupted by a kick in the shin from Hinata, and an ear tug from his own female companion.

"That is no way to speak to a lady!" She twisted his ear painfully.

Naruto snickered at Brock's punishment and took a look at the other two people. The girl seemed to be staring at his whiskers intently, and the Trainer was eyeing him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Suddenly, a Pikachu peaked out from the Trainer's shoulder and hopped onto the table, instantly stealing Leaf's attention.

"Aww, is this your Pikachu?" She said as she scratched the mouse behind its ears.

"Chaa," It let out a soft cry as Leaf found the sweet spot.

"It sure is! Pikachu is my partner and we are challenging the League together!" The Trainer said, with Pikachu giving a fist pump in agreement.

Suddenly the boy blinked at Leaf for a moment, "Leaf?" He asked.

She looked up and blinked back, "Ash?"

He smiled, "Wow, crazy meeting you here, I thought you'd be miles ahead by now. You didn't leave on your bike?"

She shook her head, "Nope. I'm traveling with my two friends here, Mom told me it'd be better to go on foot and I bumped into them along the way. I'm surprised I haven't seen you until now though Ash, I've been taking it pretty slowly."

Ash seemed a bit embarrassed, "We might have had a few detours."

The girl traveling with Ash snorted, "You mean we got lost!"

The girl released Brock's ear and gave him a light slap on the shoulder, "Since you seem to know these people, why don't you introduce us, Brock?"

Brock straightened up and cleared his throat as he introduced the group. "Right. These are my traveling companions, Misty Waterflower, and Ash Ketchum. We are following Ash on his Journey to the Indigo League."

Naruto took another look at Misty with a raised eyebrow, "You're the fourth Cerulean Sister? We battled your sisters the other day."

She blushed a bit and smiled weakly, "Sorry about them, they can be a handful."

He shook his head, "Nah, they were cool about it, we had a lot of fun."

Brock continued his introductions, "Misty, Ash, these are three Trainers that challenged me just before Ash did. Leaf Green, a Grass Specialist if I'm not mistaken. Hinata Hyuuga a Pokemon Nurse. And Naruto Uzumaki, a variety Trainer just like Ash."

Naruto smiled at them and looked at Ash with an appraising eye. Maybe he could get a good battle out of this guy. Surely the two Gym Leaders were traveling with him for a reason, right?

Ash looked at Naruto with wide eyes and slammed his hand on the table, " _You're_ Naruto Uzumaki?" He stood up and pointed at Naruto accusingly. "You're the guy who keeps beating us everywhere we go!"

Naruto was taken aback by the exclamation and turned an eyebrow to Brock for an explanation.

Brock scratched his cheek and let out a light laugh, "Yeah, everywhere we seem to go the people keep talking about you Naruto. First, it was an Officer Jenny who was talking about a group of Trainers that defeated a pair of Team Rocket members effortlessly. Then it was a Nurse Joy talking about how you saved a Poison-type from near death. We even heard rumors of a Trainer walking around with a mysterious snow-white Pokemon, I knew it had to be you. It was going on in every city too, I couldn't tell if they were blowing things out of proportion or not."

Misty turned a bit red, "Yeah and my sisters pulled me aside to brag about a hot blonde with whiskers that they had met." She looked down at the table to avoid his eyes, "I thought they were joking about the whiskers."

Naruto gave a fox-like grin to her, and turned to Ash, "So that means you beat the Sensational Sisters? You must be pretty good then."

This time Ash looked down at the table and chuckled sheepishly, "Not exactly... They said their Pokemon were too exhausted from that triple battle you guys had, so I battled Misty instead."

"And I almost beat you!" Misty said smugly.

"To be fair Misty, you didn't let him use Pikachu, which gave you a huge advantage." Brock crushed her argument.

A cute yawn distracted them, as Skadi woke up and hopped onto the table, eyeing the new people with curiosity.

"Wow! What kind of Pokemon is that!" Ash excitedly pulled out his Pokedex, and tried to scan the fox. His face shifted into a confused frown as it came up with no information. "That's never happened before."

"A Shiny Vulpix!" Brock said with a bit of awe, "I didn't know you had one Naruto."

Naruto let out a light laugh, "Not Shiny, but just as rare, at least in Kanto. She's an Alolan Vulpix! They have a unique climate there that causes Pokemon to adapt, Vulpix is an Ice-type instead of Fire." He said as he scratched the scruff of her neck. She still had the blue bow wrapped around her neck, giving her an adorable look.

She stuck her nose up high, and blew out a bit of frosty breath for show.

Brock rubbed his chin in thought as he studied the snow-white Pokemon, "Interesting! I wonder how many different types there are in Alola." He silently wondered what kind of food the Vulpix would eat. Would it prefer the same types as a normal Vulpix? Or would it prefer food that Ice-types generally like?

Naruto shrugged, "Couldn't tell you, I've never been. Skadi was a gift."

"She's cute!" Misty scratched the small fox under her chin as she admired the fur. It was cool to the touch, and very soft, like silk sheets.

"That's awesome!" Ash had stars in his eyes as he looked at the rare Pokemon, "A Pokemon from a different region! We should have a battle sometime! I'd love to see its moves."

Naruto easily agreed to the challenge, interested in Ash's Pokemon.

They all settled down for some warm soup and coco as they shared some stories of their adventures. Misty had left the Gym to her sisters to travel and train to become a Master of Water-types, and Brock had left the Gym to his Father, who happened to be the strange rock salesman, to continue his studies in Pokemon Breeding.

Brock had nearly fainted when he heard Hinata had gotten a Shiny Tyrunt out of one of his Father's rocks.

They found that Ash and Leaf had known each other beforehand, having grown up in the same small town. They weren't very close, but had a few interactions in Professor Oak's various Summer Camps, and Pokemon related Events.

Brock had told them of his worries about a young Charmander they had found along Route 6, sitting on a rock all alone. The story had the entire group looking outside the window in worry. Rain was never good for a fire-type, and if he was still out in the open, there was a serious chance of sickness or worse.

The conversation slowed as they all thought about the Charmander, and a loud voice grabbed the attention of the entire lodge.

"Wow, Damian you sure have a lot of Pokemon!" A snotty voice said.

They turned their heads to the center of the room, where a group of teenagers was sitting around a table covered in Pokeballs.

An arrogant looking teen in the center, with a thick accent spoke up, "Yeah just look at 'em. It's a good collection."

"Yeah."

"It's awesome."

"Didn't you used to have a Charmander though?"

Naruto gripped the table tightly as he connected the dots.

"Yeah, but that thing was so weak!" He waved it off, "Completely pathetic." He smirked and stuck his nose up in the air, "So I left it on a rock in the woods. I promised I'd come back for it, and do you know what happened? The stupid thing _believed_ me!" He rolled his eyes dramatically. The group surrounding him all laughed.

Naruto let a growl escape his throat, and Brock stood up, anger obvious on his face. He was about to march over and give the kid a piece of his mind, but Naruto stopped him, "Hold on Brock. He's not important right now." Brock looked furious at Naruto but a glare silenced him, " _Charmander_ is. Why don't you and Ash head back to where you found him? He'll die out in this storm." Naruto said seriously. "I'll deal with the prick." Brock's face softened and agreed, throwing on his pack in case he needed it. Naruto caught Nurse Joy out of the corner of his eye, she looked horrified at Damian and ran off for the video-phones.

He turned to Hinata with a conflicted face, "Hinata..." He frowned as he spoke, "Can you go with them? If the Charmander is still out in this rain..." He didn't need to finish before Hinata was on her feet and nodding. He hated himself for sending her out in the rain, but a Nurse was likely going to be necessary.

"Of course! We should hurry!"

Brock pulled Ash to his feet, and they headed for the exit.

The trio took off out the door quickly, and Naruto turned to Misty. "You're still a League registered Gym Leader right?" He asked.

She stopped glaring at Damian to look up at him, "Yeah, I had to be to give Ash his Badge. Why?"

Naruto gave her a feral grin, "Because I would like some witnesses."

He walked over to the group of Trainers and interrupted their conversation. "Excuse me."

The group turned to him, and their 'leader' spoke up. "Who are you?"

Naruto just gave a sheepish laugh and waved him off, "Ah sorry, I just couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You see I had heard about a Charmander lost on Route 6, is that the one you were talking about?" He asked with a 'friendly' smile.

 _'Come on, buddy, dig your own grave for me.'_ He thought to himself.

Damian smirked, "That's the one. Useless thing couldn't even beat a Bulbasaur."

Naruto resisted the urge to break this prick's face, and smiled wider. He gave a light laugh, "I see, now it makes sense. Does that mean all of these Pokemon are yours as well?" He gestured to the pile of at least twenty Pokeballs on the table.

Damian gave another smug look, "You bet. I've captured all of these powerful Pokemon myself. I'm gathering a collection."

A small eyebrow twitch broke through his mask and he laughed again to cover it, "Wow! That's really something! How do you get around the six Pokemon rule? If you don't mind me asking." He leaned in and feigned interest.

Damian snorted, "You really think they enforce that? I just carry around all my Pokemon with me."

Naruto nodded sagely in understanding, "I see. That makes a lot of sense. So all of your Pokemon are powerful then? Wow, you must be a really good Trainer if you don't have any weak ones." He laid a bit more praise to keep the prick talking.

Damian crossed his arms and tried to look smug, "Yeah, I'm pretty good. All my Pokemon are strong, so I just leave any of the weak ones I find behind, they are so stupid they just assume I'm coming back." He unknowingly hammered the final nail into his own coffin.

Naruto let out a genuine laugh this time, and dropped his smile. His eyes turned cold and he glared down at the group of scum, "You really are an idiot."

Damian's face twisted into a scowl at the sudden change in personality. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

Naruto snickered and gestured around the lodge, "Look around you, moron."

Damian scoffed and glanced around the room, his face slowly lost color as he realized the lodge was completely silent. All the Trainers that had come here to eat and rest, were suddenly glaring directly at him with no small amount of anger in their eyes. Even his group of friends were looking at him conflicted.

Seeing the realization slowly make its way into the prick's thick skull, Naruto shook his head. "You're an idiot because you just admitted to multiple counts of Pokemon abuse, neglect, abandonment, and breaking several League _laws_ , inside of a _League Sanctioned_ Pokemon Center." He let out another laugh and gestured to his left this time, "Not to mention the League Sanctioned Pokemon _Gym Leader_ , that just heard the entirety of your confession, and the Nurse Joy who I'm sure has already contacted the local Officer Jenny."

Damian started to sweat, and glared back up at him, "And who the hell are you?! You can't do anything about this, you have no proof!"

Naruto shook his head, "Seriously? I think over a dozen witnesses are plenty proof to put your license under investigation, but since you asked so nicely." He gave a mock bow, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Aura Guardian Grandmaster, and as a proud member of the Order, it is fully within my capabilities to handle this situation myself." He cleared his throat and smirked down at Damian, "I, Naruto Uzumaki, revoke the Trainer License of Trainer Damian, until a League Offical can investigate it thoroughly. As of this moment, you are no longer a Pokemon Trainer."

Several gasps broke the silence of the lodge, and people started whispering among themselves as they watched intently.

Damian turned red with anger and reached for a Pokeball, planning to wipe that smirk off his face.

A flash of silver, and suddenly the table was empty, and there was a beautiful white Lucario standing beside Naruto, with arms full of Pokeballs.

Damian shot to his feet, "You can't do this! You have no right!" He shouted.

A new voice chimed in behind him, "Oh? Doesn't he?"

Damian spun around to curse whoever had just interrupted, only to meet the eyes of a very pissed off Officer Jenny.

She pulled out a set of cuffs and it finally sank in just how much trouble he was in. Pokemon abuse was no joke in this world, and the punishments were usually severe. It was everyone's favorite sport, hobby, and way of life. Seeing anyone abuse that, got the public extremely angered.

Damian's words caught in his throat and a pair of Officers came from behind Jenny to take the teen away. The Officers got a standing ovation from the groups of Trainers that had been watching, as they guided Damian out of the Center.

Damian's group of friends looked ready to bolt, and Officer Jenny turned her glare to them. "Oh no you don't! You are going to sit right there and stay quiet until backup arrives. If you try to leave or resist, I will have you brought up for neglect by association." Suddenly the group was all sitting down quietly, frozen stiff.

Nurse Joy hurried around the counter to them, and bowed to Officer Jenny, "Thank you for coming so quickly, Jenny! I was worried they were going to start some trouble in my Center."

Jenny smiled brightly, "No problem! Happy to help!"

The doors were thrown open once more, and a trio of soaked Trainers stumbled in, "Nurse Joy! We need help here!" Brock called out as he pulled his wet vest off of a weakened Charmander.

"Oh my! Chansey bring me a stretcher, quickly!" She called to the back of her center as she carefully looked over the Charmander.

A moment later the Chansey appeared and the Charmander was whisked off to the Emergency Room.

Naruto walked over to a shivering Hinata and pulled her into a hug, "Well done, princess." He kissed her forehead through her wet hair, "Let's get you warmed up." He guided her over to the large fire in the center of the room. The trio of wet Trainers surrounded the fire as they fought off the cold.

Leaf and Misty headed over, to greet them. "Is the Charmander going to be okay?" Leaf asked worriedly.

Hinata nodded, "I think so. It was looking bad when we got there, but my Chansey managed to heal it a significant amount. The only real worry now is its body temperature, it was too cold and too wet for too long. Hopefully, Nurse Joy can help it now."

"I can't believe someone could be so terrible to Pokemon," Misty said with a frown.

"Yeah, that was awful! Where is that guy anyway? I'll teach him a lesson." Ash said as Pikachu started to release some sparks.

Naruto chuckled, "Damian is currently in the back of a squad car, heading to Vermillion City's Police Station."

"Where he will hopefully stay." Officer Jenny approached them with a smile, "Thank you for your assistance Grandmaster Naruto."

Suddenly Brock was kneeling in front of her, grasping onto her hand, "Oh Jenny, my love! We must be destined to meet here!"

Jenny sweatdropped and tried to pull back her hand, "Can you please stop? You're getting me wet."

Brock's smile turned lecherous and steam blew out of his nose, "That's what I like to hea– Omphh"

Misty delivered a vicious blow to his head with a mallet she had produced from somewhere, "That's not how she meant it you pervert!" She latched onto his ear and dragged him off to the other side of the fire.

Naruto nodded at Jenny, ignoring the sobbing man, "Excuse me Officer, but what would you like me to do with these Pokemon." He said as he pointed his thumb at the pile of Pokeballs Grace was still carrying.

"Those are Damian's right?" She paused in thought, "Well, I'll have to put them up for donation, which means finding Trainers willing to take them." She looked at Naruto and smiled, "Why don't you each take one? It will save me some time, and I know they will be cared for."

"Seriously? You are just giving us these Pokemon?" Leaf asked.

"Yes. I've got to go call for backup so we can start getting witness accounts, so please stay inside the Center." She said, and headed back to the car.

"So she says," Naruto commented, "Let's scan these Pokeballs and see what we have to choose from."

"You're being very nonchalant about this Naruto," Leaf said as they sat back down around the table, and Grace placed down the Pokeballs.

Naruto shrugged, "Would you rather they go to some random Trainer that could be just as bad as Damian? Not that it will happen, I'm sure Officer Jenny will make sure they get good Trainers, but still, I think it's better if we do our own part."

Brock nodded as he gently rubbed the welt on his head Misty had given him, "He's right, and considering what just happened, I'm sure some of the other Trainers here wouldn't mind taking care of one as well."

"You're being quiet about this Ash, I figured you'd be bouncing in your seat if someone told you they'd be giving you a Pokemon." Misty tapped Ash on the shoulder to get his attention. He was staring off at the door to the Emergency Room.

Ash looked back at them and shook his head, "I'm just having trouble not thinking about that Charmander. He looked really hurt when we got there, and to find out his Trainer left him there..." He trailed off.

Naruto smiled at the kid's love for Pokemon. "Well then, you'll just have to take the Charmander." He said, getting Ash's attention. "If you are worried about the little guy's health, then you'll just have to make sure he gets taken care of from now on."

Ash stared at Naruto for a while, and nodded. "Yeah..." He looked down at the rows of Pokeballs with a bit of excitement back in his eyes, "So? What kind of Pokemon did the jerk have?"

The group of four with Pokedexes each started scanning, with Brock making a list of names, and gender.

"Ladies first!" Naruto said, and Brock passed the list to Misty. Not that she needed it, she immediately reached for a ball containing a Seel, while they had some at her Gym, she had yet to catch one of her own, and she had her eyes locked on the ball since they had scanned it.

Hinata was next, choosing a cute Swablu. Altaria, the evolved form, is known to be a very affectionate Pokemon, that can sing beautifully. A perfect choice for her.

Leaf chose an Exeggcute, adding a Psychic to her team of Grass-types.

Brock went next and happily chose a... Geodude. He shrugged and said it was his favorite, so they dropped the subject.

Naruto went last, and studied the list carefully, realizing he was never going to pick one out of the list he decided to do it the Uzumaki way.

He pulled his headband down over his eyes and reached out to grab a random ball. He felt a slight pull toward one so he chose it. Taking off his headband, he scanned it to see he had chosen a female Growlithe.

"A Growlithe? That's perfect for you Naruto!" Hinata leaned into his shoulder to read the Pokedex entry.

It was true, Growlithe were extremely loyal to their Trainers, and will fight off any threat no matter how large, to protect its Trainer. It was surprising that Damian had one, but considering the amount of rare Pokemon on the list, he suspected Damian hadn't actually caught them all, and perhaps did some less than honest things to get them.

Officer Jenny returned with a handful more Officers to start questioning the various Trainers around the Lodge. An hour of answering questions later, and she gave them a final salute as she headed off. She had taken the rest of the Pokeballs, and given the friends of Damian a very strict warning before she left.

* * *

The storm kept up as the sun went down and they settled down along the couches to wait for Nurse Joy to finish her work. It shouldn't have taken this long, which was worrying.

"Hey, Naruto?" The questioning voice of Misty called out.

"Hmm?"

"You said you were an Aura Guardian. Was that true?" She had heard the stories growing up, just like every other kid, so it was strange to her to have one of those fantastical heroes sitting down in front of her.

He nodded proudly, "Yep! Hinata is too. She's an Adept Nurse."

Brock glanced over at him, "That explains a lot actually, I could have sworn I saw Hinata's hands glowing when we found Charmander, but I thought it was just a trick of the light. I guess that explains your Lucario as well."

Ash seemed to be lost entirely, "What's an Aura Guardian? And what is a Lucario?"

Misty snickered at his confused face, "Seriously Ash? First off, you saw a Lucario earlier, it was that pretty white Pokemon standing behind Naruto when you came into the Center, although they are normally blue, not white. And secondly, have you seriously never heard of Aura Guardians? Surely you've at least heard the story of Sir Aaron right?"

Ash turned a bit red, and starting scratching Pikachu behind the ears to distract himself, "Uh... Sorry, I don't think so."

Misty's head hit the table and Naruto laughed as he gave a brief explanation on what a Guardian was. "Well, to put it simply, they are similar to the Pokemon Rangers, but focused on the bond with Pokemon and protecting Legendary Pokemon, rather than just Pokemon preservation. We get sent missions to deal with rampant Pokemon, or protect people if they are traveling to someplace dangerous, like Mt. Silver. In fact, that Poison-type you guys had heard about was Hinata's most recent mission."

Ash leaned forward with interest, "So you get to meet Legendaries?! That's awesome!"

Naruto nodded, "Well, if the situation calls for it, not that many of our Guardians actually meet some, although I've heard that the Masters have all met one before. In fact, my Mother met a Moltres on a mission to Mt. Silver once." He smiled as he remembered how excited Kushina was as she described her encounter to him. She made it seem like the most wonderful experience of her life.

"Really?! What did she do?" Ash was now smiling widely and sitting on the edge of his seat. The rest of the group seemed quite interested as well, even if they showed it less than Ash did.

"She did the only thing an Uzumaki would do in that situation of course." He smirked, "She challenged it to a fight."

Ash's face showed a bit of confusion, "Why would she want to fight it? Aren't you suppose to be protecting Legendaries?"

Naruto nodded to the point, "Of course, but it was more about testing herself, she had just been promoted to Master, and had the chance to measure herself against one of the most powerful fire-types in the world. She didn't want to catch Moltres or anything like that. If she had won, she likely would have just healed the Pokemon and been on her way."

Ash seemed to understand that, "That's... cool. I'm not sure what I'd do in that situation, but testing myself against the strongest is definitely part of my dream." He sank back into the couch and looked back at Naruto, "So? Did she win?"

Naruto smiled again, "That's a secret. It was my Mother's test for herself, so she is the only one who needs to know that answer."

Ash seemed disappointed but was focusing his thoughts elsewhere, he thought back to the first day of his Journey, and the mysterious Pokemon he had seen. He figured he might as well try, "So does that mean you know a lot about Legendary Pokemon?"

Naruto nodded, "As much as I can, the Professors might have a bit more knowledge than me, but I do have access to some pretty old data from the Order, so I know quite a bit. Why?"

"Well, on the first day of my Journey, I got messed up pretty bad in a thunderstorm, and I think I saw one." He said seriously, Brock and Misty both leaned in, he hadn't told them this before. "I talked to Professor Oak about it, but he didn't seem to believe me."

"Can you describe it to me?"

And so Ash did. He told him all about his first day, trying and failing to catch a Pokemon, angering a Spearow flock, stealing Misty's bike, getting caught in a storm, and finally seeing the large phoenix-like bird flying over a rainbow.

Naruto leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as he went over the events in his head, "Damn, Ash, your first day was almost as messed up as mine was. But a legendary phoenix flying over a rainbow, interesting." He pulled out his Pokedex and searched for some pictures of a Pokemon he knew matched that description.

He passed the Dex to Ash, which had an old painting of the Pokemon on display, "Ho-oh, the Rainbow Pokemon. It's said that anyone lucky enough to spot Ho-oh will be granted eternal happiness."

Ash smiled as he looked at the picture, there was no mistaking it now, "That's it. I saw it on my very first day." Pikachu gave a cry of agreement from Ash's shoulder.

A small ding caught their attention, and the light above the Emergency Room finally turned off, a satisfied Nurse Joy made her way to them, "He's all healed now. But fell into a deep sleep, he likely won't wake until morning." She looked around, "Where's Jenny?"

The group all looked relieved and filled her in on what had happened while she was working, as well as Ash taking responsibility for Charmander.

"Can I see him?" Ash asked.

Joy nodded, "Of course, but don't try to wake him, please. He needs the rest."

Ash hurried off to the room and the group all agreed to tuck in for the night, they could chat more in the morning.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto had just finished his morning training and meditation, when he was pulled into the Pokemon Center's kitchen by a flustered Nurse Joy. He was a bit confused until he found a sight that amused and terrified him in equal parts.

Hinata and Brock were arguing in the kitchen.

Wearing identical pink aprons.

He was slightly impressed by the way they managed to argue about who was cooking what, while maintaining enough focus to cook at a furious pace.

Nurse Joy looked completely lost, and left the situation to him as she headed back into the lobby.

He sighed and leaned against the counter, far enough away to avoid the crossfire, "What exactly is the problem here?"

Hinata turned to him with a heartbroken expression, " _He,"_ She gestured to Brock with a spatula, "was trying to cook you breakfast!" She declared as if revealing some horrific crime.

Brock countered as he prepared the next set of eggs. "I was trying to cook _everyone_ breakfast. It is my job as the group's Pokemon Breeder!"

"Well it's _my_ job as the Nurse to ensure everyone is as healthy as possible, that includes their diets!" Hinata shot back as she continued her own cooking.

Naruto was watching intrigued as they managed to maintain a glare at each other without spilling or burning anything they were making.

"Have you tried cooking _together_?" Naruto helpfully suggested.

They stopped their glaring to look at him, scandalized.

"Impossible." They said at the same time.

Hinata nodded curtly as she came to the only obvious conclusion. "I suppose there is only one thing left to do."

Brock caught on and nodded sagely, "Indeed, it has come to that."

"We'll make it a competition." Hinata challenged.

"Now hold on–" Naruto tried to defuse them.

"I accept your challenge." Brock agreed.

"I really don't think that's necessary–"

"Ready? Go!" Hinata called.

They set off again, doubling their speed as the cooked with perfect precision. Pots and pans flew as a variety of breakfast foods were prepared at lightning speed.

An hour of mortal combat later, and suddenly the group was gathered around a large table with several different dishes placed in front of them. Ash and Pikachu had matching hungry expressions. Leaf was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Misty seemed to be sending him a questioning look. And the other half-dozen Trainers that had been pulled into this mess were about as confused as could be.

The two culinary warriors came out of the kitchen satisfied with their efforts.

Hinata wiped her hands on her apron and sat beside Naruto, "Alright! The plates on your right are prepared by me, and the ones on your left are prepared by Brock. We are having a competition so be sure to choose whichever you liked the best."

Brock nodded as he sat down beside Ash, his stoic expression completely betrayed by the bright, frilly, pink apron he was still wearing. "Yes! Be sure to vote fairly, our pride is on the line!" He said seriously as he used a cloth to gently dab the stains out of his apron.

Naruto looked around the table frantically, and couldn't find what he was looking for. He turned to Hinata and tugged on her apron, "Uh– Hinata? Where is–"

Suddenly a steaming hot bowl of ramen was placed in front of him, and he silently wept as he thanked the goddess that was Hinata for this wonderful meal.

The Trainers all still looked lost, but silently began eating the food that had been placed in front of them.

Ash and Pikachu had foregone any semblance of manners, and dove into their food like a pair of starving men. Misty and Leaf both ate slowly, happily tasting the differences in the large variety of food.

"Hmm. They are a lot different actually." Misty commented as she tried two nearly-identical plates from either side. Somehow they tasted entirely different, despite looking the same.

Leaf nodded, "Yeah, Brock's tastes more home-cooked."

"Like my Mom's," Ash helpfully added, between mouthfuls.

Brock didn't know whether to laugh or cry at being compared to a Mother's cooking.

"But Hinata's is more... Professional?" Misty continued.

"Like an expensive restaurant." Leaf agreed.

Murmurs of agreement came from the surrounding Trainers, as they each enjoyed the surprisingly good cooking.

The conversation moved to Pokemon as the Trainers all ate together, and they discussed the various Pokemon in the area, and the Gym leaders they had fought.

Soon enough everyone was finished, and Brock had called for a vote.

It was unanimous.

"Hinata!" Naruto declared, placing his chopsticks onto his finished bowl with no small amount of reverence.

The rest of the Trainers let out their own murmurs of agreement, crushing Brock's spirits entirely.

"B-But... Why?" He fell to his knees in despair.

"She made me Ramen," Naruto said as if it explained everything.

"She's a girl." Leaf shrugged.

"She's not a pervert!" Misty added, missing Naruto choke on his drink.

"You're wearing a pink apron Brock." Ash drove the final knife into his friend's back.

"That's so unfair!" Brock whined.

Naruto gave each of his girls a peck on the cheek, drawing some weird looks from the Trainers. "I'm going to go get some more training done." Both Leaf and Hinata nodded and told him they'd join him in a bit. Naruto ignored the sobbing man dressed in pink, and headed off to the Training Grounds.

* * *

"Okay! What first?" He spoke his thoughts as he stretched his limbs. "Skadi needs some experience, but I also have that new Growlithe to introduce myself to." He scratched his chin in thought.

"Better get that out of the way. She can watch for the first day while I get training with everyone else." He reached for his newest Pokeball and released her.

He immediately noticed something wrong when he saw the Growlithe dart her eyes around the clearing and start growling at him.

He knelt down in front of her, and held his hand out, "I'm not going to hurt you girl, Damian is gone. He won't be anywhere near you ever again."

The Growlithe went a bit quieter but lowered itself into a combat stance.

He moved a bit closer, and kept a friendly smile, "I'm your new Trainer, my name is Naruto." He reached out to pet the Growlithe's head.

The Growlithe moved back and growled louder. She opened her mouth to reveal a small fireball, and launched a quick Ember at Naruto.

He sighed and raised his hand, a silvery shield materialized in front of him, absorbing the attack completely.

He reached out with his hand while the Pokemon was still shocked by his Protect, and placed his palm on the Growlithe's head.

He reached out with his Aura quickly, and showed Growlithe his own memories. Memories of Damian admitting his crimes and getting arrested, and memories of the other Pokemon all going to good Trainers that would take care of them.

The Growlithe calmed down as she watched the memories, _"Why are you showing me this?"_ She asked mentally.

 _"Because you were being mean!"_ He heard Skadi yell into the Bond.

The young Growlithe looked startled for a moment before she realized that there were four other presences in the Bond.

She was a bit overwhelmed at first, she could feel their emotions inside herself. They were kind, and welcoming. It felt... nice. Different from Damian's group, and a welcome change.

 _"I plan to head to the very top, and that means winning the Indigo League. I'll need powerful Pokemon to help me get there, and I want you to be one of them. Will you join me?"_ He asked.

She thought about it for only a moment. _"I will,"_ She agreed, _"You seem to be better than Damian, and I refuse to fight for that monster."_

Naruto smiled widely and pulled his new friend into a hug, _"I'm happy to have you with us. Now you need a name, everyone gets one."_

He plopped down onto the ground and placed his new Growlithe into his lap, _"How about Amaterasu? Or Amy for short."_ He ran his fingers through her warm fur. Silently gushing over the orange and black color.

She agreed and lied down in his lap, _"That's fine."_ She relaxed as she enjoyed his affections.

A thought struck him and he pulled out his Pokedex to scan his new friend.

 **Growlithe the Puppy Pokemon**

 **Growlithe are extremely loyal, and will fearlessly defend its Trainer from any threat. They remain still until their Trainer gives them an order. It has a superb sense of smell, and will never forget a scent. It has the ability to disable its sense of smell to defend against strong or unpleasant odors.**

 **This Growlithe is female and has the Ability Flash Fire**

 **This Growlithe knows the moves – Bite, Roar, Ember, Odor Sleuth, Helping Hand, and Fire Fang.**

A small yip echoed through the Bond and he realized he hadn't scanned Skadi yet. _"Sorry girl, I got distracted these past few days."_ He pulled out her ball and scanned it.

 **Vulpix the Fox Pokemon**

 **This Pokemon is an Alolan variant that has adapted to snowy mountain peaks, its coat turned white to blend into the snow, and it learned to control Ice. They travel in small packs and usually avoid humans. They can expel extremely cold breath which is capable of freezing anything.**

 **This Vulpix is female and has the Ability Snow Cloak and has activated its Hidden Ability Snow Warning**

 **This Vulpix knows the moves – Powder Snow, Tail Whip, Roar, Baby-Doll Eyes, and Ice Shard.**

"Damn, you girls are pretty powerful already!" He said as he read through the move-sets. Skadi was a bit surprising, the only other Pokemon that had activated their Hidden Ability was Grace, so to see one so young with it was impressive.

He felt Skadi's happiness at the praise, and idly listened to her start chatting excitedly with the team's newest addition.

He stayed there for a moment, enjoying the morning air as the rest of his team introduced themselves. Skadi seemed particularly happy to have a friend of similar age.

"Hey, Naruto!" A loud voice shattered the peaceful moment.

Amy shot up and immediately stood in front of Naruto growling at the intruder.

Ash stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a Fire Pokemon glaring murder at him.

"Relax Amy, he's a friend. I showed you, remember? He helped Charmander." Naruto said as he lazily made his way to his feet.

A small orange lizard peaked around Ash's legs and walked forward to greet Amy, "Chaarr."

Amy relaxed and trotted over to her former teammate, and started chatting with him.

Naruto smiled at the Pokemon and turned to Ash, "Hey, Ash. What's up?"

"I came to tell you that Charmander is good as new! Nurse Joy let him out just after breakfast and he agreed to join my team!" Ash said with excitement.

"That's great. I just introduced myself to my new partner as well. She's going to be a great member of my team." He looked back at Amy who seemed to be checking Charmander over for wounds. "I was about to start training. Care to join me?" He offered.

Ash's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of training and he agreed quickly, "Yeah! I'd love to." He seemed to lose a bit of his excitement for a moment, "I... didn't do very well with the Gyms I won, and Brock said it was only going to get harder from here on out. To be honest, I didn't really earn either of my Badges, the first one Pikachu only beat Onix because of a faulty sprinkler system." He confessed.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You beat an Onix with a Pikachu?" That was still pretty impressive, especially if Brock took the fight as seriously as he did with the three of them.

Ash was a bit confused on why he only took that piece of information, "Yeah? But like I said I only won because the Onix got soaked."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "So let me get this straight. You're upset because you managed to use the terrain to your advantage, and defeat a much stronger opponent with a type advantage, by zapping a wet Onix with a Pikachu?"

Ash hesitated for a moment and nodded, "It felt like cheating."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched and he chopped Ash on the head. "Are you an idiot? There's nothing wrong with being resourceful, and the fact that Brock gave you the badge means that he agrees. Hell, if I had seen the sprinkler system, I probably would've done the same thing."

Ash rubbed his head and backed up, "Yeah, I guess, but I'd rather win by using my Pokemon's strength, instead of relying on luck."

Naruto nodded, "I can agree with that. You'll need to be strong to win the League, so let's get to training. Release your team and let's see what we have to work with."

Ash brightened up at showing off his team and released them one at a time.

Naruto did the same, letting Skadi run off to play with Amy. He released Scylla in a nearby pool and let her swim to warm up. Grace and Serket followed behind him as he walked back to Ash.

Ash seemed to have a good variety already caught. Pikachu, Butterfree, Pigeotto, and a Bulbasaur. He was staring a bit awestruck at Naruto's unique line-up.

Naruto took a look at Ash's Pokemon, who were all looking at him with a bit of curiosity, and nodded to himself. "You've got a good team, Ash, Charmander will compliment them nicely." He watched as Pikachu pulled Charmander over to Ash's team and started introductions.

Naruto gestured to the Pokemon at his side, "This is my partner Grace, and Serket, she's that Poison-type you heard about." He said as he gently rubbed Serket's head.

Ash had stars in his eyes once again as he looked at Grace. "So this is a Lucario? What type is it?"

Naruto bopped him on the head again, " _She_. Not _it_. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if I called Pikachu, _it._ And her name is Grace, as I just told you."

Ash realized he was being rude and apologized, "Sorry... Grace. What type is she?"

"Fighting/Steel-type," Grace responded.

Ash jumped back in surprise and pointed at her, "She can talk!"

Grace nodded with a bit of amusement, "I use Aura to stimulate my vocal cords."

Naruto clapped his hands and brought them back on topic, "Right. Well now that we've established how badass Grace is. Let's get to training!" He took another look at Ash's Pokemon, "What kind of training have you done so far? You've got entirely different types from my own group so I won't be able to help you much with attacks."

Ash looked away embarrassed, "Well- I mainly stuck to sparring and getting their moves stronger."

"Not a bad place to start, but training new moves is important as well." He advised. "Well, let's get started."

He had Ash gather up his Pokemon and give them each their own jobs. Pikachu was learning Iron Tail, a move that would give him a decent counter against Rock-types, under a bit of guidance from Grace. Scylla was attempting to teach Pidgeotto Twister. Butterfree was sparring with Serket. Ash's Bulbasaur was entertaining an excited Skadi until Leaf arrived, who would likely have a much better idea on how to train him. And finally Growlithe and Charmander were having a mock-battle, they were both Fire-types so they couldn't really hurt each other too badly, but it helped them learn to dodge and aim.

Naruto watched with amusement as Ash flew around the clearing, cheering on each of his Pokemon and giving advice where he could. He didn't seem to be the most knowledgeable of Pokemon Trainers, but his Pokemon seemed to all be very loyal to him.

Naruto glanced over to the side of the training field, where the rest of the gang had settled down in the shade to watch their training. He walked over to them and gave a wave, "Yo!"

He sat down between Hinata and Misty, and joined them in their spectating.

"Having fun, Naruto?" Leaf asked.

"Yeah. His Pokemon are pretty tough. They don't have much experience yet, but they all seem to be determined." He commented.

Misty gave a weak smile, "Seriously. They really don't know when to quit. They fight until they win or blackout. I'm not sure if it's admirable or stupid."

Naruto laughed, "Probably both. He doesn't seem to know that much about Pokemon though, and that'll end up causing some serious problems for him."

Brock agreed, "Yeah, he seems to fight all of his battles with a type disadvantage. It's fine for now, but against some of the stronger Gyms?" Brock shook his head, "It'll be hard for him."

"Then why don't you teach him?" Naruto suggested. Brock looked over at him surprised. "You are traveling together, right? You don't have to give him a full crash-course, just give him bits and pieces as you travel. Gotta have something to talk about while you walk right?"

Brock seemed to take it into consideration, but didn't respond.

"Are you ladies planning on joining in the training?"

Hinata nodded, "I'd like to get some time in with my Tyrunt today, I'll need her for the next Gym."

Naruto turned to Leaf, "How about you Leaf? Ash has a new Bulbasaur that he could use some advice with, if you wouldn't mind?"

"No problem at all! I'm sure Ivysaur would like that as well." She hopped to her feet and ran over to the Bulbasaur that was tickling Skadi with his vines.

He glanced at Misty, and noticed she was staring at the pool with a conflicted face, "Something wrong Misty? Want to train your Water-types?"

"I-I'm fine Naruto, I think I'll just watch for today." She stammered for a moment and glanced at Scylla.

Naruto caught on, and wasn't going to leave it be. "Well, I'm not." He hopped to his feet and pulled her up with him. Taking her hand in his he marched off toward the pool. "Come on, you'll love Scylla she's a sweetheart I promise." He felt her relax a bit but she was still moving stiffly as they approached the water.

He got Scylla's attention through the Bond and she left Pidgetto for a moment to swim over and greet them. _"Misty seems nervous, go slow."_ He warned.

She listened, and slowly made her way to them, laying her head down on the edge of the pool to seem less intimidating.

He guided Misty forward gently, and placed his hand on Scylla's head. "This is Scylla, she was the first Pokemon I caught, and I've had her for a few weeks now."

Misty reached out with a shaky hand and ran her fingers along the Gyarados' crest. She was terrified and nearly jumped out of her skin when Scylla let out a small whine.

Naruto wrapped an arm around her to calm her down, and spoke gently, "Is there a reason you seem to be afraid of her? I promise you, she's one of the nicest Pokemon I've ever met."

She nodded, "When I was young... I was almost eaten by a Gyarados." She said timidly.

Naruto looked at her with shock, and felt Scylla's anger swell up at the thought. "And you still like Water Pokemon?" He asked incredulously, "That kind of thing would usually scare someone away from the water."

She shook her head, "I still love Water-types, and I always will. But I'm still terrified of Gyarados. I've wanted to break out of it for a while, but I can't do it on my own." She wasn't sure why she was telling him this, but she felt she could trust him.

Naruto's respect for her rose, and he decided to give her a hand. "Then I'll help you." He said with a mischievous smirk.

Before she could react, she was swept off her feet and into Naruto's arms. She let out a cute shriek as he hopped onto Scylla's head and sat down with her in his lap.

She was still scared, and clung to him like a lifeline but found herself quickly turning red with her close proximity to the attractive blonde.

A mental command to Scylla, and they were sailing across the pool at a leisurely pace.

She was still trembling in his arms so he did his best to distract her, "You have really pretty hair you know."

"W-W-What?" She stuttered not expecting the random compliment.

He smiled down at her warmly as he felt her shaking stop, "I said your hair is pretty. Orange is a favorite color of mine, maybe not as good as blue and black but that could just be my Order pride showing off." He chuckled to himself, everything he owned was in blue or black. "But your hair looks beautiful, I think it looks great on you." He said sincerely.

Misty hid her face in his chest, "What's with the sudden compliments?"

He shrugged, "Well I felt like speaking my mind, and it has been on my mind since I met you. That, and it helped you forget about the fact that we are riding a Gyarados right now." He pointed out.

Suddenly she realized she wasn't as scared as before, and found herself enjoying the smooth ride through the water. It was nice. Nicer than she thought it'd be. She stole another look at his face and blushed as he gave her a foxy grin. He was nice, but a sudden thought struck her, "Won't your girlfriend be mad if she sees us like this?" She blurted out before she could stop herself.

He snickered, "My girlfriend? Who are you talking about?"

She got a bit irritated, "You're dating Hinata aren't you? I saw you kiss her when she came back in last night soaking wet." She accused, "You kissed her again this morning! Along... with... Leaf?" Suddenly the realization started to seep in and she looked up at him questioningly.

He nodded, "They are both my girlfriends, and no, I don't think they will mind. In fact, for some reason, I get an odd feeling Hinata is cheering us on right now."

She frowned, "But how are they okay with that? Dating two girls and flirting with another? I think I'd be mad if I was your girlfriend."

"Oh? Already picturing yourself as my girlfriend? You're skipping a few steps I think." He laughed as she gave him a light slap on the shoulder.

She blushed again, "That's not what I meant!"

"Yeah, I was just teasing you, sorry. They are surprisingly okay with the situation. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have to have more than one girlfriend. So they decided, for reasons I've yet to understand, that they'd rather share me than not be with me at all." He explained, "Although, it helps that they have a bit of a crush on each other as well."

She turned red at the imagery, and suddenly the appraising looks Hinata had been sending her made a lot of sense.

"I guess I understand."

"Well, I'm sure Scylla is starting to get bored just simply swimming us around, why don't you release your Pokemon? You are a Water Trainer right? I'm sure they'd be happy to get a chance to swim." He suggested.

She nodded and leaned forward in his lap to release her team into the water. She had a Starmie, Kingdra, Seaking, a large Lapras, and her new Seel. It was a surprisingly powerful Team, one that he honestly wasn't expecting, but she was a Gym Leader so it made sense.

Her Pokemon tensed at the sight of the large Gyarados staring them down, and they prepared for a fight, until they saw their Trainer riding on top.

"No! She's friendly! I just brought you guys out to swim." Misty calmed her team down, they seemed surprised to see her riding a Gyarados, and Naruto assumed that they knew of her fears.

"That's a powerful-looking team you've got." He commented as he peeked over the edge of Scylla's head.

She leaned back into him, content to enjoy the position while she could, "Yeah I've had them for a while, since I was raised in a Gym I got my first Pokemon at ten and I've played with them all my entire life."

"I'm going to assume that this _isn't_ the team that Ash beat, right?" He asked with a bit of sarcasm.

She giggled and shook her head, "Of course! He would get destroyed by these ones, he beat one of the Gym's Tier One Teams, it was a Staryu and a Goldeen."

Naruto nodded, and they stayed quiet for a moment, watching her Pokemon circle around Scylla and play in the water.

"My sisters showed me that match you guys had, I didn't recognize you at first, but they couldn't stop talking about your whiskers." She giggled as she remembered how they were gushing over him the entire time she was there. "I owe you a thank-you, that little show brought a lot of spectators to our Gym battles, and we are getting more popular now. So, thank you."

He nodded, "No problem, I had a lot of fun! Not to mention it will probably bring in a few new trainees at the Order, so it helped me as well."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a small hug, "Are you feeling better? I told you Scylla was nice, although she is pretty fierce in combat."

Misty could've sworn she heard a laugh escape from the Gyarados under her, but ignored it, "Yeah, I think this helped. Scylla seems alright. I still don't think I could go anywhere near a Gyarados without you though."

"That's fine. Baby steps. We'll just have to continue this another day."

Scylla brought them back to the edge of the pool and laid her head down so they could step off.

"I guess so." She agreed.

He scooped her up again, effortlessly, and hopped onto the ground. He placed her down and gave her a wink, "It's a date then!" He said, and ran off before she could respond.

She found herself not minding the idea.

* * *

"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Ash called out as he approached.

The small electric mouse focused, and the lightning shaped tail glowed for an instant before taking on a metallic sheen. The Pikachu ran forward and did a small flip, slamming its tail into a boulder on the way down.

The boulder cracked under the weight and split down the middle.

"Alright!" Ash let out a whoop and gave a fist pump, "You did it Pikachu!" Pikachu gave its own battle cry and mimicked Ash's pose.

"Nice one!" Naruto said as he walked over to them. "You got it figured out?"

"You bet we did!" Ash said as Pikachu scrambled up his shoulder, "My Pokemon are on top of their game right now! Thanks again for helping us."

Naruto smiled, "No problem, how about we have that battle we promised? We can see if those moves you learned are battle-ready or not."

Ash smiled back, "You're on!"

They set up on one of the practice fields, with all of their Pokemon lining up on the side to watch, and Brock came up to Ref, "Two on two?" Both Trainers nodded. "This is a two-on-two match between Naruto of Rota, and Ash of Pallet Town. Trainers call out your first Pokemon."

Ash smirked and went first, "Let's see how strong you really are, Charmander!" He called out, and the fire lizard stood in front of him with determination in his eyes, he was given a chance by Ash and he wasn't going to waste it.

Naruto shrugged and turned to his team, "Who wants to go first?" He asked, they all shared glances with each other, but Skadi ran onto the field with excitement. She was finally getting her first battle, and she was ready. He nodded to Brock, and they prepared for the match.

Ash spun his cap around, and Naruto tightened his headband. They both put their game faces on, they may be friends now, but a battle was a battle.

"Begin!"

The battle was instantly enveloped in cold wind and hail as Vulpix's Hidden Ability Snow Warning activated.

If Ash was surprised, he didn't let it get to him, "Use Ember!"

The Charmander ignored the biting cold and shot a volley of small fireballs at his opponent.

Skadi dodged without prompting, avoiding the majority of the attack.

"Ice Shard!"

Skadi opened her mouth and a blue ball of Ice formed in front of her, she fired quickly and it flew across the field before the other side could react, slamming into her opponent.

Charmander let out a cry of pain as it was pushed back, but stood strong.

"Get it close and use Scratch!"

Charmander rushed forward, lashing out with its small claws and scratching the side of Vulpix's body.

Skadi let out a yelp of pain as the cuts stung her.

"Baby-Doll Eyes!" Naruto commanded.

She looked up at Charmander with big round eyes, the baby-blue orbs were slightly glistening with moisture.

Charmander stumbled back, unsure of how to deal with it.

"Now use Powder Snow!"

Skadi's sweet look vanished in an instant and it twisted into a smirk as she opened her mouth and unleashed a powerful gust of cold wind, laced with snow.

Charmander was caught completely off guard and took the attack full-on, a moment later he was trapped inside a large block of Ice, indicating that he had been frozen.

"Charmander, no!" Ash cried as he saw his newest Pokemon take the hit.

Naruto raised an eyebrow to Brock who nodded and called the match. In a normal match, freezing usually wouldn't end it, but these were baby Pokemon, and Charmander had just recovered from a sickness brought on by the cold.

Hinata and Chansey were already on the field defrosting Charmander, as Skadi bounded over to him, forgetting about the gashes she had on her side.

She hopped into his arms happily and licked at his face. He laughed and congratulated her, "That was an awesome fight, great job Skadi!"

He gave her a final head pat and sent her off to rest with Hinata to get healed.

Ash was standing stiffly on the field as he watched his Pokemon get thawed out. He couldn't believe he had lost, even if it was his newest Pokemon. He even had the type advantage this time!

"That was a good fight." The voice of Naruto snapped him out of his funk, "Honestly. The only reason Skadi's Powder Snow hit for that hard was that she had quite a bit of experience with that particular move, pelting Zubat back in Mt Moon." He chuckled as he remembered the way Skadi had shot them down with glee.

Ash nodded and regained his focus. He'd beat him this time.

They waited until Hinata had warmed up Charmander and moved him off to the side, then resumed their match.

Ash went for his trusty starter. "Come on Pikachu! Let's show him our power!"

Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and sparked its cheeks in anticipation. The Pikachu stood up on its hind legs and threw a fist at Naruto's group of Pokemon, "Pika-Pikachu! Pi Pi~Ka~Chu Pika!" Pikachu finished the speech and crossed its arms defiantly.

Grace strode forward with a purpose and Naruto looked at her questioningly.

"Pikachu wished to face your starter, Master. So I shall accept the challenge."

Naruto snickered with amusement and agreed, and Brock started the next match.

"Begin!"

"Pikachu hit them with Thunderbolt!" Ash started off with Pikachu's favorite move.

"Pika~Chuuu!" A cloak of bright yellow electricity formed around Pikachu and a bolt of lightning shot off toward Grace.

"Detect!"

Grace's eyes flashed blue and she waited until the last moment before swiftly stepping to the side, dodging the attack effortlessly.

Both Ash and Pikachu were startled by the simple move, and lost a bit of their confidence in the battle.

"Wha-? Dodge!" Ash shouted quickly, and Pikachu narrowly jumped over an Aura Sphere. The sphere flew past them and crashed into a tree before it could redirect itself.

"Don't get distracted!" Naruto shouted across the field, "Quick Attack!"

Grace coated herself in a familiar silver energy and shot across the field.

"Use your own Pikachu!"

Pikachu started running across the field, sped up by its own attack.

"Counter!" Naruto said as the opponents closed in on each other.

Grace reacted fast, and switched her speed from attack to defense, sidestepping once again as Pikachu launched at her. She charged her paw with orange energy and struck Pikachu in the side.

Pikachu gave another cry and flew back across the field, crashing to the ground in front of Ash.

Ash clenched his fists tightly as he saw his partner hit the ground, he couldn't believe he was getting beaten so easily. Just how strong was Grace? "Come on buddy, you can do this!" He pleaded to his starter.

Grace watched on silently as Pikachu slowly got back on shaky legs. The small mouse stumbled for a moment before glaring at Grace with defiance.

Ash brightened up a bit but knew he didn't have much of a chance. "Use Iron Tail!"

The Pikachu's tail glowed and it ran up to fire off one last attack.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "End it." He left the method to Grace.

The battle had started off as a friendly competition, but Naruto had quickly realized Ash wasn't using his head as much as he could be. He reminded Naruto of himself, when he was younger and had just gotten Grace.

At the time, he felt unstoppable, and didn't even consider that he could lose. If not for his Mother, he was sure he would have neglected his training significantly.

But his Mother had beaten sense into him, sometimes literally. And he quickly found he _had_ to use his head, if he ever wanted to win.

So, Naruto's goal in the battle shifted, and it was more about trying to teach something to Ash. Grace had followed her Trainer's line of thought, and did her part to convey the message.

He turned his attention back to the battle as Pikachu launched into the air, using a flip to bring down his Iron Tail.

Grace remained still, and prepared her newest move. She lashed out with a paw and caught Pikachu's tail with her own Metal Claw. Grace's crimson eyes stared at the mouse with stoicism as she raised her other glowing paw. She swung, and sent Pikachu flying back to the same spot he had started from.

The yellow mouse crashed into the ground again, and it was clear that it wasn't getting back up this time.

Ash didn't bother to wait for Brock to call it, and rushed forward to pick up his starter. His heart broke as he saw the battered form of his partner, and once again he felt himself letting his Pokemon down.

"Pikapi," Pikachu whined weakly.

Ash shook his head, "It's not your fault buddy." He whispered, "It's mine."

He silently handed his partner over to Hinata, who got to work healing immediately, and glared at the ground. He wanted to cry for getting his partner hurt again. He wanted to scream in frustration for getting beat so easily. But he couldn't allow himself to appear weak in front of his Pokemon, not when they were all looking at him with worry.

Naruto walked over to him silently, and waited for Ash to meet his eyes before he spoke, "Do you know why you lost?" He asked softly.

Ash grit his teeth, "You were stronger."

Naruto shook his head, "No." He said simply, "If it was that simple, then you would've lost to Brock. Do you know why you won against him?"

"I was lucky."

Naruto chopped him on the head hard enough to hurt, "Don't be stupid. You won because you knew that the water would increase the damage Pikachu's electricity did. You used your head. Where was that ingenuity today?"

Ash stayed silent, but he knew the answer. He didn't _think_. He rushed in and Pikachu paid the price for him.

Naruto let out another breath and gave Ash a pat on the shoulder, "You're not a bad Trainer Ash, you have a lot of potential. I can see clearly that your Pokemon would already go through hell for you, and that is not something many Trainers can boast. Just make sure that you can live up to that trust. A Pokemon Battle is a battle for the Trainer as well, and if you forget that, you'll drag your team down with you."

He saw that his words were hitting home with Ash, so he left him with a bit of advice, "The next Gym will be extremely difficult for you. I'm not even confident in my own abilities to beat Lt. Surge yet." He said seriously, Ash looked up at him with wide eyes, "So I'm going to stay here for at least a couple weeks, buckle down, and get some serious training done. I suggest you stick around for a few days, it'd do you some good to see other Trainers battle and train with their Pokemon." He gestured to the side, where a few other pairs of Trainers had started their own battles.

Ash nodded silently, and Naruto walked off to the side where Hinata was still healing Pikachu. He mentally smiled as he saw Ash's Pokemon instantly surround him. He'd be just fine.

* * *

"Was that really necessary?" Hinata immediately scolded as he approached.

Naruto sighed and nodded, "It's better that it happened now. Or Lt. Surge would take it upon himself to teach the lesson, and I have no idea how that would end up." He could imagine Surge beating the Pikachu down with his own Raichu pretty easily, but who knows how Ash would take it.

Hinata frowned but didn't argue, and finished up healing the Pikachu, who immediately bolted off to Ash.

"As much as I hate seeing Ash take it so hard, I agree with Naruto." Brock commented as he watched his friend give a speech to his Pokemon, they were out of earshot, but he could tell something had changed in Ash.

"I'm surprised, Brock. I thought if anyone was going to take Ash's side it'd be you." Misty said.

Brock shook his head, "Can you honestly tell me you thought Ash was going to win the League as he was? I'd rather see him take a fall now, than at the Indigo Stadium."

Misty remained quiet, but her silence was telling.

"I think it will help him." Leaf spoke up, "I was in a similar situation when I started, and I think if Hinata hadn't beaten me so badly in my first battle, I would still be struggling with Brock's Gym." She confessed. It was true. She hadn't even considered training when she left home, if not for some inspiration from Naruto, and wake-up call by Hinata, she would've likely neglected her Pokemon's training. And now, she already had two badges, in under a month of her Journey. It had hurt, to be crushed so thoroughly, but if Naruto had given one of his famous 'cheering up' speeches, she was sure Ash would bounce back just as strongly as she did.

A small tug on his pants brought his attention down to Amaterasu, who was nipping at his legs. He knelt down and questioned her through the Bond. _"Something wrong, Amy?"_

She responded with determination, _"I would like to begin training now. I watched the others battle, and I'm ashamed to admit that I would lose just as easily as Charmander to Skadi right now."_

 _"Hey!"_ He heard Skadi cry out.

He nodded to her and told the others he was going back to training.

He rounded up his own Pokemon and gave them all their own goals. He wanted each one to be ready for Surge, even if he wouldn't be using them all.

His Pokemon were all ready to begin a few weeks of rigorous training and Naruto was happy to provide.

* * *

 **The next morning.**

Naruto fought for control of his breathing as he braced his body for the next attack. He lunged forward with his signature Mach Punch, landing a vicious blow on his Partner.

Grace took the blow admirably, and retaliated with a swift Counter.

They each slid back and eyed each other carefully, before rushing forward again.

Fierce punches and swift jabs were traded between Trainer and Pokemon as they pushed each other to their limits.

Grace faltered as exhaustion finally slowed her down, and Naruto capitalized quickly, tossing her over his shoulder to send her crashing into a tree.

She was on her feet just as quickly as she hit the ground, and shook off her injuries and irritation. "I still cannot match your stamina, Master."

Naruto shook his head and stretched his arms, "Not many can Grace, even in the Knights. You'll get there."

He glanced over at the treeline and sighed, "Are you going to keep watching us all morning, or are you going to say something?"

Ash Ketchum came out from behind the tree he was watching from, Pikachu still riding faithfully on his shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep, and I heard your training." He said simply.

Naruto nodded and continued his sparring with Grace, "So? Are you ready to get serious?"

Ash gave a nod and twisted his cap around on his head, "Yeah... I spoke with my team, and I won't play around any longer. I'll train hard." He said, and gave a small smirk, "And beat you at the Indigo Conference."

Naruto laughed happily and doubled his speed.

Flashes of lightning shone throughout the clearing as Ash and Pikachu joined Naruto for his morning routine.

* * *

 **Author's Notes (Minor Spoilers/Ideas)**

Chapter 6 finished, finally.

Sorry, it took a bit but my computer finally died on me. Luckily, I had my files backed up to a cloud, and I didn't lose any FanFic stuff, so this story won't die a premature death like so many other stories on this site. I would say we should be all good now with tech troubles, but the last time I said that I jinxed myself. (I feel bad for even writing that, I feel like 'Tech Troubles' is such an over-used excuse for Authors on this site.)

Lemons are always welcome. How'd I do? There won't be one in every chapter, but I'll write them occasionally.

You got a bit of Misty romance, she won't be joining the Harem anytime soon, but I figured I'd set up a little foundation now, while she was there.

I was a bit hard on Ash, if he is going to make it to the Conference in this world of mine, then Ash needs a kick in the ass courtesy of Naruto. I made Naruto beat him pretty thoroughly to provide that kick, and by the time he gets to the Indigo League, he'll provide a much more appropriate challenge for Naruto.

I intentionally left Pikachu Genderless, I thought that was part of Pikachu's appeal when I watched the Anime, but I don't really mind one way or the other. Should I give Pikachu a gender? It won't really affect the story, but it could provide a cute moment when Ash realizes his starter may or may not be the Gender he thought.

Naruto is already starting to influence the Pokemon world, influencing Ash and even Misty and Brock, with his presence. So expect to start falling off the rails of Canon soon.

I also made Naruto already familiar with Surge. I never really liked how most Anime MCs are _completely_ unfamiliar with the world they live in. Sure, it provides a good excuse to teach the viewer things as other characters explain it to the MC. But I think it makes far more sense for Naruto to have some contacts in the world. Especially considering Naruto has had some missions out of Rota, which would lead to him meeting people.

The newest member of Naruto's team is a Growlithe, named Amaterasu. I was originally planning to name his first Fire-type Hestia, my favorite Olympian, but I felt Hestia's passive nature wouldn't fit a combat focused Fire-type. So Amaterasu is a better choice. Not to mention the name's ties with the Naruto universe.

Completely unrelated to the plotline, I assure you, but I need a name for a **female** Electric-type. Something to do with Mythology.

The Poll is over, Jessie won with 104 votes or 45%, 10 more than May's 94. It was relatively close the entire time, but Jessie remained in the lead for the majority of it, pretty consistently.

No love for Solidad, but I suppose it was a bit unfair putting her up against two major characters. And here I was trying to be unique, shame on me I guess...

All jokes aside, I'm pretty excited to write Jessie, and I do agree that I don't think I've seen her paired with the MC enough in Fanfics. She'll show up soon, within the next few chapters, depending on how long I make them.

James is going to be around, somewhere, you may not see him for a while because of where I'm putting him but he isn't going to be disappearing on us.


	7. A City of Electricity!

Chapter Seven: A City of Electricity!

"Air Slash, Togekiss."

"Dodge it, Scizor!"

Despite Scizor's frantic leap to the side, assisted by its wings, the Togekiss was much faster, and landed a vicious blow to the chest of the Pincer Pokemon.

Scizor slid back with a cry, and struggled to maintain its balance against the powerful strike.

Scizor's Trainer grit his teeth, "Flash Cannon!"

Scizor opened it's heavy claws and fired two blindingly white beams toward its opponent.

"Extreme Speed."

In the blink of an eye, Togekiss was gone and the Flash Cannon flew through empty space to crash into the opposite treeline.

Another cry filled the clearing as Togekiss crashed into Scizor with startling speed, sending the Bug-type back once again.

The Scizor stumbled and glared up at its opponent. Its body was littered with wounds from the fierce beating it was enduring.

"Iron head, while it's close!" The Trainer cried, slowly getting more desperate.

"Aura Sphere."

Scizor prepared its attack, covering its head in a silver glow it charged forward, aiming for a strong headbutt... straight into an Aura Sphere.

A loud explosion resounded as the Scizor was sent flying back, crashing hard into a tree.

It slid down to the base of the tree limply, eyes filled with swirls.

"Scizor! No!"

The designated Ref called the match, and both Trainers returned their Pokemon.

Scizor's Trainer begrudgingly handed over the money to the victor, but found himself attracted to the young girl in front of him. He offered his hand to shake with a not-so-innocent smile, "That was a close match. My name is Adam!"

The girl didn't even react to his hand offering, and sent him the coldest glare he had ever seen. A chill ran down his spine, and he turned away quickly, uneased by the dark look.

He met the eyes of the blonde Ref, and saw an equally malicious glare. The blonde cracked his knuckles and started walking over.

Adam let out an unmanly shriek and ran for the hills.

* * *

Hinata dropped her glare with a small giggle as she saw her opponent flee, and added the money to her wallet. It was _not_ a close match, not in the slightest, but it gave her some much-needed experience with her new Togekiss. She had finally decided to evolve her Partner after two weeks of grueling training. Master Kushina had sent her a Shiny Stone to support her on her Journey with Naruto, and she happily used it on her Partner.

Her Togekiss was stronger than the other members of her team, but she had still trained all of them hard.

"Nice one Hinata!" Naruto said as he walked over with Leaf.

She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips, "Thank you Naruto. And for scaring that guy off." She gave him another long kiss.

Naruto pouted, "He was a creep! I should've kicked his ass."

Hinata giggled into her hand. She loved it when he got defensive for her, and she was sure Leaf did too.

"Should we get moving again? I'm ready to be back in an actual city, and we seem close." Leaf commented.

Naruto nodded and took the arms of his two ladies as the continued down the path. They were on the road to Vermillion City, after spending two weeks in the Route 6 Center. Two weeks of intense training for all three members of the group. They each trained hard with their teams and made quite a bit of progress.

The newest members of their teams were given extra attention, and with the help of some of the stronger members, were quickly rising in power. Naruto was extremely proud with how far Skadi and Amy had come, and he was excited to see how well they would perform in a real battle.

Ash had made some drastic changes while he stuck around. He had joined Naruto on several of his training sessions, and started pushing his own Pokemon harder. He spent four days at the lodge with them, battling any Trainer that would accept, and trying out a few different approaches to battling.

Naruto had thought Ash looked rather pleased with himself as they gave their goodbyes, and the group left on good terms.

Naruto's senses tingled as they made their way down the path, and he pulled his two girlfriends to a stop.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of them, and a medium sized Pokemon appeared in the middle of the road.

The Pokemon was covered in shaggy black fur, sparking with electricity. A light blue showed through around its legs, face, and underbelly. A yellow star tipped a long black tail, and swayed behind the Pokemon. Shining yellow eyes glared at them.

It fired off another Thunderbolt, and Naruto glared back as it struck the ground in front of him.

The Pokemon, a Luxray if memory served him, pawed the ground and let out a Roar. It went quiet and glared at him again, giving a silent challenge.

Hinata let out a small giggle, "I think it wants to battle you, Naruto."

Naruto sighed, "I can see that." He stepped forward, and unclipped a ball from his belt.

"Burn brightly, Amaterasu!" Naruto called out as he threw his newest member.

The Luxray didn't seem impressed by the small Puppy Pokemon. It gave a small snort and turned to leave with a growl.

 _'Not after that fit you just threw!'_ Naruto thought as he tightened his headband.

"Use Ember!"

Amy dug in her paws and fired off a stream of fireballs, much faster and much larger than she ever could with Damian.

The attack flew across the road before Luxray could react and slammed into its side with a hiss. The Electric-type jumped back with a yelp and tried to shake off the flecks of embers coating its fur.

It pawed the ground again and regained its glare.

"Taking us seriously now?" Naruto called out with a mocking tone.

The Luxray growled and fired off another Thunderbolt.

Amy jumped to the side with ease. Pikachu had given her plenty of training with Electric attacks.

"Flame Wheel!"

Amy rushed forward quickly, flames encasing her body as she ran. The flames grew until she was one large fireball, heading toward the Luxray.

The Luxray growled and met the challenge. It pawed at the ground again, before running forward and matching Amaterasu's speed. It shrouded itself in yellow electricity, and met the Flame Wheel with a powerful Wild Charge.

A loud explosion echoed as they collided. Smoke filled the air as Fire met Electricity.

The dust cleared, and both Pokemon were still standing defiantly, glaring at one another.

Amy growled and lowered her stance, ready to start another move.

The Luxray studied her for a moment, and inclined its head shortly, before turning around and running off into the forest.

Amy huffed as her challenge fled, and trotted over to sit down in front of her trainer.

Naruto stared at the retreating Luxray with confusion. It just threw a few attacks and then left? That was strange. A small nip at his pants brought his attention back to Amy and he knelt down to scratch her head.

"That was a very good fight Amy, and you dodged that Thunderbolt perfectly." He praised as he pet his Pokemon.

She licked at his cheek for a moment and pulled back, _"I don't think she was fighting seriously, those Thunderbolts were weaker than Pikachu's."_

 _She_ , huh? Why were all of the Pokemon interested in him, female? But it was still strange, while Pikachu wasn't weak, that was a fully grown Luxray and should've been much more powerful. Maybe she was just playing around.

He looked back down at his Fire-type, "Are you feeling okay after that? You did get hit by a Wild Charge from a Pokemon several times your size." He checked her over for injuries.

Amy snorted through the bond, _"As if size means anything to a man who wrestles with Gyarados every day. And I think I'm fine, she didn't seem to be aiming to hurt me."_

Naruto conceded the point and placed her down. He scanned the area with his Aura, and felt the Luxray remaining on the edge of his senses. Interesting.

"That was exciting." Leaf clapped and got his attention, "I can see Vermillion from here, let's get to the Pokemon Center and rest for the night."

Naruto nodded in agreement and they got moving again, Amy trailing beside him to watch for any more surprises.

* * *

The city was pretty modernized compared to others he had seen. Most cities and towns tended to stay relatively small, and not rely on technology as much. Pokemon tended to steer clear of a modern town, so they didn't like to take it too far. Some towns would even try to appear old-fashioned and welcoming, but with high-tech inside the buildings.

The trend led to some interesting architecture. Eventually, each Pokecenter, Gym, or Police Station started adding their own flair. A good example would be the Pokemon Center they had stayed in at Route 6. A wooden lodge at first glance, but inside held some of the most advanced medical technology in the world.

Vermillion was a bit more modern themed, with large buildings lining the streets. It still had an abundance of parks and greenery lining the roads, but it wasn't quite as much as he was used to.

They made it to the local Pokemon Center, another good example of a 'personalized' Center. It was a bright red dome, with a glass stripe across the center of the roof to provide a skylight. Two small Pokeball statues sat on the roof, and a large P was displayed above the sliding doors.

They entered the Center and checked themselves in at the Counter. Naruto let his ladies book them a room while he made his way over to the video phones. He had gotten a ping from his mother on his X-Transiever, asking him to call her soon.

* * *

"Naruto!" Beamed the happy face of his mother.

"Hey, Mom! We just checked into Vermilion, planning to hit Surge where it hurts tomorrow!" He said with a small smirk.

Kushina giggled at her son and pumped a fist, "Be sure to give him a good thrashing, just in case he needs a reminder of our Uzumaki Temper."

He chuckled and nodded, "Sure thing. I've got a few surprises prepared for him. You sounded like you needed to talk about something?"

Kushina nodded slowly and turned serious, "Those two grunts you captured were extremely cooperative, and gave us some very crucial information with the fight against Team Rocket. They pledged their loyalty to the Order in exchange for protection against the organization, and have already given us everything they knew."

Naruto's eyes bugged out, "Are you serious? I know they had a surprising amount of Aura, but I never imagined they'd just swap sides like that. What changed?" He asked with a bit of suspicion.

Kushina sighed, "Long story short, they were forced to work for Team Rocket, and luckily, they are absolutely terrible criminals." Naruto snickered at the memory and she continued, "Since they didn't actually succeed in any of their plans, we convinced the Police to forgive them, provided that we pay for the parts they stole. They've been working for us for the last couple weeks and progressing nicely, but I feel their studies are hindered by staying here in the Order HQ."

Naruto nodded in agreement, they did seem to be the 'hands-on' type, so field experience would likely speed up their learning.

"So," She continued, "I'm sending one off to study under a Knight in their home region."

Naruto nodded again, "Makes sense, and the other one?"

She ran a hand through her hair, "Well... Some information they gave us was rather troubling. It seems that Team Rocket had a large heist planned within the next month. There is a small Pokemon tournament happening aboard a luxury cruise ship just after it makes its annual stop in Vermilion city, two weeks from now. Team Rocket plans to hide aboard the ship, dressed as the crew, and round the Trainers up in the ballroom, then steal the Pokemon of everyone on board."

Naruto widened his eyes and balled his fists, "How the hell are they going to pull that off?"

She shook her head, "They weren't too sure about the details. They weren't much more than grunts in the organization. They did have their own unit, but grunts are still grunts." She looked back at the camera seriously, "Because you happen to be the only member of the Order in the area, you'll have to take this mission, or let the Rocket plan succeed."

It wasn't even a choice for Naruto, and he accepted immediately.

She smiled again, " _But_. You are far too important, not only as my son, but as the Order's Grandmaster, to undertake this mission alone. At least with your current Pokemon Team." Her smile grew wider, "So I will be flying over to watch over the mission and assist you if necessary."

Naruto matched his mother's smile, "That's awesome! I was already missing you so much!"

She felt her heart soar and tried to push down the rising feelings, "O-Of course, the Order's newest member will be joining me on the trip. They are coming along to provide you with any information they can on Team Rocket, and give you an idea of how the Heist is going to be planned." She said, answering his earlier question. She gained a mischievous smile, "And then, once the mission is over, _she_ will be joining you on your Journey as your Squire." She cackled with glee at Naruto's baffled face. It wasn't very often she got to surprise her son.

"A Squire? Why now?"

She gave him a pointed look, "You know why, Naruto."

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His mother was telling him to _seduce_ his new Squire? He didn't know if he should laugh or cry at the situation.

He looked back at her, more than a little confused, "So you _approve_ of her? I'm surprised you would choose a former member of Team Rocket of all people." Considering how many young women within the Order that had been staring at him recently, he figured she would try to send _someone_ after him. He was a bit confused on why now, if she didn't try it earlier.

Kushina nodded quickly, "She reminds me of myself, and I've always told you to get a girl like me one day."

Naruto put on a teasing smirk, "A girl like you? Sounds like you are trying to tell me something, _Mother_."

She blushed a bit and cleared her throat, "A-Anyway, I'll be flying over tomorrow morning. You said you were staying in the Pokemon Center?"

"Yep! Hinata is checking us in right now."

She nodded in acceptance, "Good, it will give me some time to spend with you. I'd love to see how your team is progressing."

Naruto gave a small smile as he thought about his newest team members, "You'll love them all, I can already tell." Kushina, like the majority of female Trainers, had a bit of a soft spot for cute Pokemon, he was sure that Skadi would steal her heart at first sight.

She gave a satisfied smile, and said her goodbyes.

Naruto ended the call, and took a look around the Center.

He knew that the two girls had gone up to their room, planning on resting up from the long walk. He, on the other hand, still had plenty of energy, and it was only evening.

 _'Might as well get some training done.'_ He nodded to himself and wandered off to the Training Grounds.

* * *

The Training Area behind the Center was nearly deserted at this time of day, so Naruto had plenty of space to release his team. He still felt a presence on the edge of his senses, but if she wasn't going to show herself then he wasn't going to acknowledge her.

They lined up on the edge of a nearby pool, Scylla peering over them from the water.

Naruto clapped his hands and addressed his team, "Alright! Tomorrow we face Surge, he's going to be one of the hardest fights we've had so I expect you all to do your best."

His team all gave their own cries of agreement.

He nodded in satisfaction and spoke again, "We trained hard these last few weeks and I think you are all ready to begin some Aura Training. I've already been experimenting with Grace and Scylla, and we found that Pokemon can manipulate Aura just like Guardians, they just have to train long enough."

Amy and Skadi let out matching barks of excitement, and the others showed their own approval.

He turned to his partner, "Grace you finished Thunder Punch right? Care to give them a demonstration on what you can achieve with Aura?"

Grace nodded happily and stepped out in front of a target dummy, she set herself about as far away as she would be from an opposing Pokemon in a real battle.

She brought back her fist, and it sparked to life with brilliant yellow electricity. Holding the stance for a moment to gather her focus on her Aura, she swung forward and punched the air quickly.

The Thunder Punch cracked as she finished her swing, but instead of stopping and fizzling out as the spectators expected, the lightning jumped off of her paw in the shape of a fist. It flew forward with the speed of a Thunderbolt, and crashed into the training dummy with an explosion.

She smiled in satisfaction and lowered her sparking paw. Grace let out a silent laugh as she turned to the awe-struck faces of her teammates. Even Scylla was impressed.

Naruto clapped happily, and set off a roar of approval from the Pokemon watching. "Nicely done Grace! That was much faster than I thought it'd be. I figured you'd have to aim more carefully with it when you finally turned your Thunder Punch, ranged."

Grace gave a curt nod, "It is fast, but static. I cannot curve or manipulate the path, as I can with Aura Sphere, but I imagine it will be useful in the future."

 _"You discovered a way to throw your Thunder Punch? Fascinating, I never would've thought to use Aura in that manner."_ Scylla spoke up.

Grace turned to her with a bit of confusion, "Then what have you been working on?"

Naruto and Scylla let out a little laughter, _"You will have to wait and see."_ Scylla teased.

Naruto set Scylla on her own training, she was confident with the 'Special Project' they had been working on, but there was no harming in continuing to practice.

He knelt down in front of Skadi and Amy, preparing to start them with their own Aura Training.

He took a paw of each in his hands and gently guided his Aura into them, "Alright, you girls feel that? 'Unlocking' your Aura is rather simple, just latch onto that feeling and try to make it bigger. Eventually, your own Aura will respond and push back against mine."

 _"This feels weird,"_ Skadi said as she tried to get a feeling for her Aura.

 _"It's tingly,"_ Amaterasu agreed.

 _"I think I'm starting to get it,"_ Skadi said after a few minutes of concentration.

The two Pokemon's eyes glowed blue for a moment as their Aura responded, and Naruto felt himself being slowly pushed out.

He smiled and pulled back his Aura, "Excellent job! Now that you have a feel for it, you need to try to implement it into your attacks. Pokemon naturally use Aura in their moves, it is one of the reasons the can do so many varied moves, but if you learn to control the Aura consciously, you won't be as limited in what you can do with your attacks. A good example would be Grace throwing her Thunder Punch."

 _"Does this mean we could potentially learn Aura Sphere?"_ Amy asked.

Naruto scratched his chin a bit, "Maybe, I'm not too certain. It is a Fighting-type move, so that would make it difficult, but not impossible. I think re-creating Aura Sphere in Fire or Ice might be easier."

He left them to start practicing and instructed Serket in the same manner.

 _"So I can use Aura to increase the strength of my attacks?"_ Serket asked as she played with her newly unlocked Aura. She was making her claws glow slightly purple, and idly wondered if it would do anything.

Naruto tilted his head, "Indirectly, I guess... You could increase your physical attacks by using Aura to speed yourself up, for example." He paused and thought about it, "But you might be able to increase your Poison's effectiveness, I'm not too sure."

Naruto sat down on the edge of the field as he watched Skadi and Amy play with their Aura and run around. Serket happily laid down beside him, content to watch over the two little balls of energy, rather than join in herself.

"Hey, Serket... Do you ever think about Evolving?" Naruto asked as he watched the two youngest play tag.

 _"Sometimes."_ She replied, _"It can be scary... Changing forms so quickly."_

He nodded in understanding. It'd be like going from the body of an eight-year-old to an adult in an instant. "Do you want to Evolve?" He offered. He did have that Moonstone, and he had no idea what Serket thought about it. "I admit that having a Ground-type would be a massive help in the upcoming Gym, but I don't want to force you. If you want to stay as a Nidorina, then that is fine with me."

She thought about it for a while, and they sat in silence together. After a moment she shook her head, _"I think... I'd like to stay as a Nidorina for a while. I had just Evolved before you captured me. To force an Evolution so soon, would just feel... Premature."_

Naruto gave an understanding nod, "Then that is fine with me. The Moonstone will be there whenever you feel ready."

Serket was grateful he would let her make that choice. _"Thank you, Naruto. I'm sorry I won't be of much use this Gym Battle."_ She felt slightly selfish for taking that advantage away from her Trainer.

Naruto waved it off, "Don't worry about it. It's no problem at all. You know the two little ones have been itching for this battle for a while. They're ready for it."

Serket gave her agreement, and Naruto took a look at the sky. The sun was setting, so he stood up and stretched.

He needed to tell the girls about the S.S. Anne. He gathered his Pokemon back into their Pokeballs and headed inside.

* * *

Naruto woke up trapped between the warm bodies of his girlfriends.

Hinata was clutching him like a teddy bear, and murmuring about whiskers in her sleep. She was once again dressed in her t-shirt, and he silently enjoyed the feeling of her large breasts pressing into his side.

Leaf was sleeping on his arm, breathing softly with a peaceful expression on her face. She looked adorable in her Grass Pokemon pajamas, and he didn't want to wake her.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and tried to slip out of the bed without disturbing them. It never works.

Hinata clutched him tighter and whined, "Don't get up... Naru~to."

He sighed and gave her a kiss, "We have to get up Hinata. We've got a Gym Battle today."

She looked up at him with pouting eyes and puckered her lips.

He rolled his eyes and gave her a longer kiss.

Leaf shifted on his other side as she woke, and he gave her a kiss as well.

Finally untangling himself from Hinata, he started getting dressed.

Hinata whined as she slipped out of bed, she decided to dress in her Kimono today, since they were spending it in the city. Her Kimono was made strong enough to survive traveling, but she still enjoyed to wear her hoodie on the Journey.

Naruto had told her that her Master Kushina was going to be arriving today, and so she wanted to look her best.

Leaf wore her normal clothes. The Guardian Suit was given to her by Naruto, but she didn't consider herself a member of the Order, so she wouldn't wear it. It felt a bit wrong to wear the Order's symbol without the training that Naruto and Hinata had to go through.

They got dressed and headed down for breakfast.

* * *

Naruto snagged a newspaper, while Hinata borrowed the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

He sat beside Leaf and skimmed through it, focusing on the important bits. He liked to keep himself up to date with current events, so reading recent news always helped.

Nothing really caught his eye. There was an article about the S.S. Anne's arrival and Pokemon tournament, but he had already heard about it from Kushina.

He stopped about halfway down, and smiled with amusement at an article.

Leaf peered over at him, "Something funny, Naruto?"

He chuckled and read aloud, "A local town gives its gratitude to a group of rouge Squirtle, that banded together under the guidance of a friendly Trainer to stop a wildfire heading toward the town. The group was formally recognized as 'The Squirtle Squad' for their brave actions, and have been accepted into the town's firefighting unit." He showed Leaf the image.

A group of Squirtle were combining their water guns to put out the fire. A Trainer stood behind them, pointing at the fire with a Pikachu beside him.

Leaf smiled as she looked at the picture, "That's cute! They even get their own little uniforms." She said as she read down a little further.

Hinata came back carrying plates, and they settled down for breakfast.

"So what is your plan for Surge?" Leaf asked as they started eating.

"I'd like to start with Skadi, but if he throws a Magnemite, I think Amaterasu would be a better choice," Naruto replied. He turned to Hinata, "What about you, Hinata? I imagine that your Tyrunt will be one of your first choices."

Hinata nodded, "Yes, she trained very hard for this so I'd like to use her first. I think I'll use Sneasel or Togekiss next, depending on how well Tyrunt does." She said as she blissfully bit into a Cinnamon Bun.

Leaf nodded in understanding, and bit her lip as she considered her own options. "I might have to use Ivysaur for this one. I don't want to rely on my starter for every Gym, but I don't have many effective moves for an Electric battle."

"It's fine to use your starter, Leaf. Many Trainers use them in every battle. As long as you don't neglect your other Pokemon." Naruto said.

She smiled and gave another nod, "Yeah. I'd still like to give my other Pokemon a shot at a Gym. I think I'll save Ivysaur for last."

"Sounds good." Naruto agreed as he stood up to stretch, "Why don't we find someplace to relax, and strategize? I'd like to go through the Electric-type moves one more time before the battle."

* * *

"Na~ru~to!" They heard an excited voice call out as they made their way to the lounge.

Naruto spun around just in time to see a flash of red hair come barreling into him. "Oof!" He nearly collapsed as he was caught by an unexpected bone-crushing hug. He smiled and hugged the red-head back, "It's good to see you, Mom!"

He was surprised to see her wearing the Order's colors. She was wearing a short-sleeved, Kimono-style blouse that was a dark navy-blue, embroidered along the edges in black. It was held closed with a black obi. The outfit's skirt went down to mid-thigh, and was met by a set of dark stockings. All in all, it gave her an attractive, youthful, look. One that Naruto appreciated as she pressed up against him.

She leaned up and planted a big kiss on his cheek, "I missed you so much!" Kushina said without letting go. They had never really been separated when he was growing up, so she missed him much more than she expected to.

She backed off as she realized that her son wasn't alone, and scooped up Hinata in an equally big hug. "And you too Hinata! I was so proud to hear about your adventures together."

Hinata smiled and hugged her Master back, "It is thanks to your training Master Kushina."

Kushina pulled back with a mischievous grin, "You don't have to call me that anymore dear, just Kushina is fine. Or perhaps 'Mother' would be more fitting, I'm sure it won't be long now!" Her smile grew as her apprentice turned bright red, and she turned to the third member of the group.

"And it is good to finally meet you face-to-face Leaf, I have heard all about you from my son's messages. I was so proud to hear how well you three did in the Cerulean City Gym Battle." She pulled the Grass Trainer into a gentler hug.

"Thank you Kushina, but it was all thanks to your son's help. He has been teaching me a lot while we travel, and I doubt I would be this far without him." Leaf said honestly.

Naruto shook his head, "It was your own hard work Leaf. You've absorbed everything I've taught you easily, and you're already becoming a powerful battler."

Leaf blushed at the praise, and Kushina couldn't help but smile warmly at the interaction. The young girl was already falling hard for him, and with words like those, it was no surprise.

Kushina clapped happily and gestured to her own traveling companion, "Right! This is Jessie, the former Rocket Grunt Naruto had captured. She will be joining us on a trip to the S.S. Anne, I've already bought tickets for us."

* * *

 **Jessie's Perspective.**

Jessie was standing beside Kushina shuffling a bit nervously. She couldn't believe that her new Teacher had shipped her off to the man who had torn apart her team so effortlessly. Her pride had been shattered, and she didn't know what to think about him. He seemed so careless when she had met him, lazing around on the couch as if he didn't have a care in the world. She had expected them to be nervous, or even afraid around a group of criminals. Instead, she was scolded for being annoying, and disregarded as harmless. He simply sent one of his Pokemon to deal with her, and casually provided commentary as he watched her team get destroyed.

She observed the group from the skylight, taking interest in the handsome blonde that looked to be their 'Leader'. At first, she had thought he was insignificant, casually joking around as if in no danger. But when they made their entrance, just for a moment, he changed. His eyes became cold and unforgiving, and Silver Chains sent her crashing to the floor. She shivered at the memory. Those piercing blue eyes seemed to glow as he analyzed her. _Judged_ her. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone, and he was back to his cheerful self, brushing off her threats as if they were just one big joke to him. But his eyes were filled with a bit of curiosity.

He watched with a bit of amusement, as his Pokemon flawlessly took down all three of their Pokemon. He joked around, injuring her pride as he listed off her many failures, and then just reached down and took her only Pokemon from her with a teasing tone.

She was scared. That Ekans was a gift. One of her very few Birthday gifts. She cared for it deeply, even if she didn't show it. She was terrified as he took her only Pokemon away from her, and sent her off to prison. During her stay, she had a while to think. Her partner, James, didn't say much from his cell beside hers, and without Meowth, things were quiet.

She thought about her life in Team Rocket. Admittedly, it wasn't bad. The group had a strong sense of unity, so they were treated fairly among the ranks. She had a few people she hated, like Cassidy, but that was normal in a workplace. At first, she thought things were looking up, she had a job that would pay, and she was happy with that. But her illusion was shattered quickly. She was ordered to steal, to rob, and to fight. Against _children_. She was in too deep to get out, and she silently accepted her new role. She tried to be evil, and she tried her best, but she couldn't do it. She always messed it up in the end. Failing at the very last moment, and letting her target slip away.

The 'Boss' saw some sort of potential in them, at least she assumed. Because he never really got angry at them. He scoffed and sneered when they reported their failures, but he always seemed slightly amused by them.

She could steal, she could build machines, and she could battle. But never against children. She would be far too distracted, and miss simple things that would always end in her defeat.

She reflected on her time in Team Rocket, and looking back, perhaps it was better for her to stay in prison. She couldn't go back to Team Rocket, not after this latest failure. But she wouldn't be able to survive without them. She had no home, no money, and now, no Pokemon.

But then, she was pulled out of her cell, and had her cuffs removed. She was met by a man wearing the same black and blue as the blonde from before. He explained that he was here to transport her to the Kingdom of Rota, ordered by a man named Naruto Uzumaki. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard that the 'Insignificant' blonde that she attacked was the new Grandmaster for the Order of Aura Guardians. She was terrified all over again, and rode to Rota in complete silence.

She met a woman there, with hair in a beautiful shade of red. She introduced herself as the Assistant Grandmaster and made them a deal. They would spill everything they knew about Team Rocket, and in exchange, they would be offered a place in the Order.

For the first time in a while, Jessie felt hope. She could be free of Team Rocket, and do something good with her life. She had tried to be a Nurse, when she was younger. She wanted to help people, but she couldn't afford a real school. She learned what she could at a Pokemon Nursing School, but failed her graduation exam.

She was confused at first, and questioned the Assistant Grandmaster. When she learned that she had Aura, she accepted the offer immediately. Her partner James was a bit more skeptical, but accepted as well, not wanting to be left out.

They were separated and trained by different Masters, which made her a bit sad. She held no romantic feelings for James, but they had been partners since Pokemon Tech, and she considered James to be a bit like a little brother. An annoying one, but a brother nonetheless.

She was immediately put to work by Master Kushina, and trained hard. She was given another chance to make something of her life, and she wasn't going to waste it. She was given back her Ekans, and she was extremely relieved to have her first Pokemon back in hand.

It went well for the first week. Then her pride reared its ugly head again, and she made a less than pleasant comment about the blonde that had captured her. Kushina gave her a sickly sweet smile as she informed Jessie that the blonde was her son... then tripled her training regimen. She learned quickly that you do _not_ insult Naruto Uzumaki in front of his Mother.

Besides the occasional bump in the road, she found herself enjoying her time at the Order. She was frightened at first, being inside the base of an Organization that had sworn to destroy Team Rocket. But her worries were for nothing, as Kushina simply brought her in front of the Knights and told them that she was a member now. They all focused on her for a moment, and she expected a lot of things, anger, rejection, abuse, but they just nodded in agreement and introduced themselves. She was welcomed with open arms, and was _happy_ for the first time in a long time.

Until a few days ago, when Kushina finally approached her about the S.S. Anne. James had been sent off to Sinnoh, his home region, to study under a Knight there, and she was alone again. She was informed that she would be accompanying Kushina to help a Guardian stop the plot. She agreed happily, somewhat excited to finally strike back at the Organization that had attempted to corrupt her.

Her hopes were shattered once again, when Kushina informed her just who she would be doing the mission with.

Naruto Uzumaki.

Her Master's son.

She spent the next few days fretting all over again. Worried he would reject her, or attack her. She was even more confused as she remembered his personality. A cruel opponent one moment, and a joking prankster the next. She didn't understand him, and that only increased her fears.

She was pulled out of bed extra early this morning, by an over-eager Kushina, and ushered onto the back of a Flying-type so they could travel to Vermilion quickly. She listened to Kushina as she sung her son's praises. For the first time, she heard about Naruto from the _other_ side of the story.

He was cheerful, and _smart_. A powerful fighter, but one that knew how to enjoy himself, and used his creativity to prank the over-serious staff at the castle. He was the Order's Prodigy, and took to Aura like he was born to use it. Kushina continued to list off his achievements and Jessie realized that Naruto was very different from how she had been picturing him. He was a hard worker, and was very protective of those he cared about.

The thought increased her fears just as much as they eased them. He was nice, from what she gathered from Kushina, but he was protective of his friends and Pokemon. Both of which, she had _attacked._

She was pulled into the Pokemon Center with an ever-growing sense of dread. She watched with a bit of confusion as Kushina greeted her son like a lost lover. Weren't they supposed to be Mother and son? But she just assumed that was how Kushina was around people she was familiar with, as she watched Kushina give an equal treatment to a beautiful young girl beside Naruto.

Jessie admired the girl's gorgeous Kimono. She always had a love for fashion, and it seems that she was not the only one. Based on the coloring of the Kimono, she assumed this was the other Guardian, Hinata Hyuuga. She looked every bit a princess, with fair skin, and dark hair.

She turned her attention to the conversation, she didn't want to miss anything and make a fool of herself before she even got introduced. She wasn't the most observant woman, but she deduced that Hinata was in some sort of relationship with Naruto. The third girl seemed to be traveling with them as well, with Naruto teaching her.

Suddenly, Kushina switched gears, and introduced her quickly enough to catch her off guard. Jessie gave a timid look at the three, she lost her voice, and waited for them to speak first. She took a glance at Naruto, he didn't look as fearsome or scary as she remembered. Instead, he looked calm, and happy as he met her eyes. She froze. His eyes were much bluer than she thought, deep like the ocean, instead of the icy-cold blue she had seen that night. His eyes trailed down her body, and she felt a bit embarrassed, until she noticed he didn't stop at any one place in particular. He just gave her a quick once-over, and looked back into her eyes.

She didn't know how to feel about that, she was happy that he met her eyes instead of ogling her body like so many other men had done. But should she take offense that he ignored her outfit completely? Did he not consider her worth looking at?

He smiled brightly, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Whether it was from shock or embarrassment, she couldn't tell. He stepped forward and held out his hand, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meetcha!"

She was floored for the second time in his presence. That's it? No glares? No annoyed looks? No insults? Just a simple 'Hello it's nice to meet you' as if he _didn't_ know she was a former criminal. Just who _was_ this man? Some of her fear faded into curiosity, and she timidly took his hand in her own, "Jessie." She said simply in response.

He closed his eyes and his smile grew bigger, if it was possible. She thought it was kind of cute the way his whiskers made him look like a fox.

"I see you've already gotten the team spirit going!" He said as he gestured to her outfit.

Kushina had thrown out her old Team Rocket gear the moment she joined, and made a similar outfit bearing the Order's colors. A tight black undershirt clung to her large breasts tightly, with a dark-blue version of her Rocket shirt over it, still giving an enticing view of her midriff. The R was replaced by the Order's symbol, and a long elbow-length pair of black gloves covered her arms. A black mini skirt covered her hips, held up by a Pokeball belt, and a long black pair of high-heels covered her legs, leaving just a strip of skin exposed between.

She nodded and crossed her arms under her bust, she wasn't ashamed of her body. In fact, she was rather proud of her 'assets'. She knew she was beautiful and wasn't afraid to show it. Naruto didn't seem to notice, and just smiled back at her.

The other two girls introduced themselves, Hinata Hyuuga, who she had guessed, and Leaf Green. Both were traveling alongside Naruto to compete in the Indigo League.

Kushina suggested that they find somewhere to sit, and the group moved into the lounge.

* * *

 **Naruto's Perspective.**

"While the mission is important, I think it can wait until you finish your Gym Battle." Kushina said as they settled down in the lounge.

His Mother had stolen Hinata's spot on his left side. Hinata was more amused by it than anything, and shot Kushina a knowing look as she sat in front of Naruto.

Naruto nodded in agreement and turned back to the newest member of their little group. Jessie was still nervous around him, and had frozen stiff in her seat. He wanted to make her feel a bit more welcome, "Why don't you introduce yourself, Jessie? I'd love to know more about you." She almost flinched when he addressed her, and he tried to keep a frown from showing on his face.

Jessie understood his meaning. She had gone through it with Kushina once before, so she spoke up quietly, "My name is Jessica, but I prefer to go by Jessie. I'm twenty-five years old. I like working with machines, mainly because it is one of the few things that I'm good at." Naruto frowned at the self-deprecating tone, and made a mental note to try to fix that.

Jessie continued, "I prefer Poison-type Pokemon, but I like cute Pokemon as well. I dislike people that insult my fashion sense, or my Pokemon. My goal... has changed recently."

She looked Naruto in the eyes, and spoke with a bit more confidence. "My goal is to become an Aura Master... I've always wanted to help people, ever since I was a child, and now Master Kushina has given me that chance. I will not waste it." She stopped for a moment, and was silently happy to see a large grin of approval on Naruto's face. "I also plan to help however I can in the fight against Team Rocket. I don't have much information, or powerful Pokemon that can help you, but I will still do anything I can." She finished her small speech with a bit of spark back in her voice. It helped that everyone here was smiling at her.

Naruto gave her his best smile and nodded in approval, "That's great! I'm glad to have you with us, Jessie!" He stopped for a moment as he realized something. "Is it just 'Jessie'?" He asked.

She flinched and gave a nod, "Just Jessie."

He didn't press any further and turned to his two girlfriends and begun to strategize.

According to the Gym page, and Kushina's own experience. Lt. Surge was a pretty aggressive Battler. That was going to make the battle difficult.

He was known for pure power, and that meant it would be much harder for them to win. They would have to dodge or block his attacks if they wanted to win. One wrong move, and the battle could end far too quickly.

So they discussed a few tactics, using their brief battles with Pikachu as a reference.

They could expect a Magnemite. It was one of the few Electric-types that had a secondary type in Kanto. Surge was known to favor it, so they were all preparing their own strategies against it.

Electabuzz was a bit worrying, it was a powerful Electric-type, and considering Surge was the best Electric-type Trainer, it would be a hard battle.

They didn't really know if they should expect his Raichu or Jolteon. The entry just said that he used them against Trainers he found 'Worthy' but they each prepared their own ace, just in case he did use them.

They finished their preparations, and Kushina happily showed them to Surge's Gym, she had been to Vermilion City a few times over the years.

* * *

They came across a rather unique looking Gym.

It was clearly styled after Electricity. With yellow lightning bolts running up the front of the building and framing the door.

They walked inside, and were surprised at how large it was.

Multiple Battlefields were spaced out in a large open room. They saw several pairs of people wearing the same uniform battling each other on the fields to the side, and a large line of young men doing push-ups along one wall.

A loud booming voice caught their attention beside the men, "Double-time maggots! My hair is going to grey before you finish! Faster!" A massive man shouted at the line, and the young men on the ground doubled their pace in response.

A young woman approached and caught his attention. "Boss! We have visitors!" She said briefly.

He glanced at her for a moment and nodded. He turned to the door and saw them, smiling widely, he made his way over. "Challengers?" He said with a calmer tone.

He stopped in front of them, and took another look at Naruto, focusing on the whiskers. He snorted and gave a smirk, "Ha! Would you look at that! The little squirt is all grown up now." He said with a loud laugh.

The group was a bit intimidated by the large man. He was extremely tall, easily towering over Naruto, and everyone else in the room. He was wearing a green tank top with a pair of silver dog-tags hanging from his neck. A tan pair of camouflage pants, and a set of black boots, covered his legs. His hair was blonde and spiky, similar to Naruto's but shorter and slightly washed out in color.

Both Kushina and Naruto didn't seem to notice his height, already familiar with him.

Naruto gave him a small glare, "I wasn't _that_ short! You are just way too tall." The man just laughed again.

Hinata let out a small giggle, "You were kind of short, Naruto." She remembered back when they were kids, Naruto had been about the same height as her. He stayed that way until about fourteen, when he hit a growth spurt. Now he was about half a head taller than her, a respectable height for someone his age.

He turned to her with a slightly betrayed look, "You too, Hinata?! So cruel!" He pouted.

The man looked over the rest of the group, blanching when he saw Kushina. He coughed to cover it up and addressed them, "My name is Lt. Surge, I am the Gym Leader here in Vermilion City. Who is my challenger today?"

Naruto stepped forward with a smirk, "Three of us, actually. Myself, along with my two traveling companions Leaf and Hinata."

Surge looked them over for a moment and nodded. They didn't seem like much, but considering the amount of blue and black they were wearing, he wouldn't assume anything until the battle began. "I was wondering when you would show up at my Gym, little man."

"Uh- Excuse me." Leaf spoke up to the Gym Leader. Surge turned to her with a raised eyebrow, and she continued, "What are those Pokemon doing? Over there." She pointed off to the side, just in front of the row of men doing push-ups.

An equally long line of various Electric-types were charging themselves up, before firing a Thunderbolt at a small pole of metal in front of them. A display was above each rod, that would produce a number after each strike.

Surge followed her sight and answered her question, "Those are the Pokemon belonging to my Cadets. While their Trainers build muscle, the Pokemon build up their own power by practicing their Electric attacks. The lightning rods will measure the amount of Electricity that runs through them. Giving a number in Voltage so the Pokemon can tell if they are improving or not." He explained.

He gestured to the back of the Gym, to a set of doors. "The extra juice gets sent off around back, to a Power Plant behind the Gym. We produce enough Electricity here, with just our training, to power the whole city!" He boasted with a proud smile. It was one of the reasons his Gym was so favored. Not only did he produce clean energy, but it was free. His Gym was supported by the League, so he didn't see the need to sell the power he produced here.

Naruto hummed in thought. It was a pretty ingenious method of training. The Pokemon could produce energy for the city, while pushing themselves to be stronger. The Trainers got a closer bond with their Pokemon at the same time, by training right alongside them. He understood now why Surge took so many Trainees. He didn't train them individually like a Knight would his Squires, but instead trained them as a unit.

Naruto guessed he didn't go into too many advanced subjects, but if someone was simply looking for a good place to learn how to train, this would be one of the best places to go to.

Surge turned back to them and crossed his arms, "Well? Which one of you is going first?"

"Naruto." Both Leaf and Hinata said at the same time.

"Why me?" He asked a bit confused. He went first in Pewter, so he figured Hinata would be up first this time.

Leaf shrugged, "You know the Leader already, and you've seen him battle once before. I think it's only fair we get to watch yours before we battle."

"Well, do your best!" Kushina gave her son a pat on the shoulder, "We'll be watching!" She said as the four girls went up to the spectator's stands above the main Battlefield.

"Good luck, Naruto!" Hinata called down.

"Be sure to win!" Leaf cheered.

"Kick his ass!" Kushina said a bit more aggressively.

He smiled at his three 'cheerleaders' and looked at the fourth girl. Jessie was still nervous around him, but he was confident she was just as sweet as the other three. He just had to bring it out.

He turned to her and looked up to her with expecting eyes. She was embarrassed, and tried to look away, but couldn't tear herself from his sparkling eyes.

His eyes started to glisten, and his lower lip quivered as he gave her his best Puppy-Dog Eyes.

She felt her heart drop, and couldn't resist anymore, "Good luck." She said timidly. Damn him and his cute whiskers.

He gave her another foxy smile. That was one minor victory, now he just had to keep it going. He'd get her smiling soon enough.

He turned back to an amused Surge, and walked over to the Battlefield.

"How many badges do you have?" Surge asked.

Naruto smirked, "Two... Three when I walk out of here."

"We'll just have to see about that."

He walked over to the Cadets and raised his voice, "That's enough!"

The group on the floor, collapsed with exhaustion, and the pairs of Trainers stopped their Battles.

"On your feet, you lazy idiots! We've got a Gym Battle here!" He shouted at them.

The Cadets shot to their feet and called over their Pokemon, looking slightly relieved that they would be getting a break.

They marched over, and settled on the ground to the side of the Battlefield, preparing to watch the match.

Surge made it to his side of the Battlefield and pointed at a random Cadet. "You! You're the Ref! Stand up and get over here! It's a two badge battle."

The Cadet he chose looked like a Deerling caught in the headlights and scrambled to his feet. He walked to the edge of the Battlefield, and started the match. "This will be a three-on-three, two badge battle, between Lt. Surge, the Gym Leader, and..." He trailed off for Naruto to answer.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"...And Naruto Uzumaki, the Challenger. Trainers, choose your first Pokemon!"

Naruto took another deep breath. This would be his hardest battle yet. Surge was no joke, and with his attack-based team, he would be a powerful opponent. But Naruto was ready, and so was his team. He had prepared plenty of surprises for Surge. This wasn't a battle he could win easily with brute force. He'd have to use a bit of ingenuity. Luckily, that was Naruto's specialty.

The two Trainers reached for a ball and threw at the same time.

"Let's go, Voltorb!"

"Toy with them, Skadi!"

A red and white, orb-shaped Pokemon glared across the field at an adorable snow-white fox. Skadi looked up at the Voltorb with innocent curiosity, and tilted her head cutely. Her baby-blue bow was still wrapped around her neck, adding to her charm.

Naruto smiled as he heard a few feminine squeals from the Spectator's stands. He knew Skadi would be a favorite. He could've sworn he heard a few gasps from the female Cadets, but they hardened their expressions before he could look.

Surge sneered at the small fox, "Are you trying to insult me Naruto?! I expected you to have more than a little baby." He was expecting a real fight from Naruto!

Naruto gained a tick mark and was about to retort, but an angry voice cut him off.

 **"Surge!"** Kushina shouted down from the stands. "Do you need me to come down there and remind you of the _last time_ you called a Pokemon 'baby'?!" She had fire in her eyes, and her hair was glowing slightly as it floated behind her with a mind of its own.

Surge paled, and glanced up at her, shivering at the visage of death hanging over the red-head. He turned to Naruto stiffly, trying his best to keep his composure. "I apologize, Naruto. I meant no offense." He sagged with relief as the pressure from Kushina's glare subsided.

He chuckled at Surge's reaction. Every Trainee at the Order experienced the same thing the first time they got on Kushina Uzumaki's bad side.

There was never a second time.

"Are both Trainers ready?" The Ref called out.

He watched them both nod, and started the match. "Begin!"

Instantly, the ground floor of the Gym was frozen over, and a white blanket was layered over it as the Vulpix's Snow Warning activated. The Battlefield was overtaken by hail and snow, making it difficult to detect the white fox.

Surge frowned as his Gym dropped in temperature. "Use Thunder Shock!" He started.

He generally didn't like the move Thunder Shock, considering it was just a weaker version of Thunderbolt. It'd be like telling a Pokemon to use Tackle when it knew Take Down. But Thunder Shock was faster, and didn't require the momentary charge-up of a Thunderbolt, so it was a good surprise the first time he used it.

The Voltorb let out a mechanical tone, "Torb!" Yellow sparks of Electricity surrounded Voltorb, and it launched its attack before Skadi could blink.

Skadi gave a small yelp as she was hit by the attack, but didn't flinch away. She met the Voltorb's eyes and begun their own little strategy. _"Pikachu could shock much stronger than that! You defective Pokeball!"_ She taunted.

The Voltorb gained a small tick mark, but didn't respond.

Surge was surprised the Ice-type didn't have much of a reaction to the Thunder Shock. He had to give it to the small fox, it was sturdier than he thought.

"Icy Wind!" Naruto called out.

Skadi opened her mouth and released a gust of freezing-cold wind, sparkling with snow, toward the opposing Voltorb. It crashed into the Electric-type quickly, doing damage and lowering its speed. Both Voltorb and Surge had their vision obstructed for a moment, as the strong wind and hail blinded them.

The wind died down, and revealed... an empty, snow-covered, Battlefield. Skadi had vanished.

He looked across the field to a smirking Naruto and sighed, "Are you planning on hiding for the rest of the match?"

Naruto's smirk just grew wider, and he made his next move. "Ice Shard!"

"Take it, and use Thunderbolt where it comes from!" Surge commanded.

A small lump of snow shifted, and a large ball of Ice flew out, crashing into the Voltorb.

"Double Team." Naruto whispered, knowing that Skadi's sensitive ears could hear him. He could command her with the Bond, but that would feel a bit cheap, and it wasn't necessary at the moment.

Skadi smirked as she silently performed a Double Team, scattering a dozen copies of herself in the snow of the surrounding area.

Voltorb sparked to life, and fired a powerful Thunderbolt at the small mound of snow. A loud crack filled the air as the lightning bolt struck, but no cry of pain followed. The smoke cleared just in time to see a smirking Vulpix shimmer out of existence.

"What?!" Surge lost his composure for a moment.

The sound of a Vulpix snickering echoed throughout the Gym, coming from a dozen different sources. _"Something wrong_ _ **little red**_ _? I can see you're having some trouble aiming."_ Skadi taunted her opponent further, snickering all the while.

Voltorb heard the voice come from its left, and fired off another Thunderbolt in anger.

Another Vulpix shimmered out of existence and Surge growled, "Easy, Voltorb! You won't find the runt like that!"

Voltorb calmed itself again, reassured by its Trainer's voice. It scanned the Battlefield carefully, watching for any signs of movement.

Naruto wasn't going to let Skadi's fun be ruined so easily, "Swagger!"

Skadi's snickering grew louder and resounded throughout the Gym.

Voltorb heard insults and taunts, thrown at it from every direction, it spun around in fury trying to find its opponent through the hailstorm. Its eyes glowed red as the Swagger took effect, raising its attack stat, but confusing it.

Voltorb caught a shadow of movement out of its eyes, and fired off another Thunderbolt in a fit of rage. The dust cleared, revealing nothing beneath, and Voltorb's anger swelled up.

It raged, and fired off Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt, shooting at shadows.

 _"Too bad~ So sad~"_ Skadi sang as the Voltorb continued to lash out at anything that caught his eye.

"Voltorb! Stop it! Calm down!" Surge shouted in his best commanding voice. He couldn't believe his eyes! This little Pokemon had gotten his Voltorb more riled up in a few moments, than it had ever been before.

His words fell on deaf ears, and Voltorb continued its tantrum. They were known for their volatile temperament, and Skadi had it far too agitated.

"Now use Feint Attack!"

Vulpix burst from the snow behind the Voltorb, lashing out with dark energy.

The attack struck, sending the Voltorb crashing into the snow.

It rose back up quickly and spun around, sparking with electricity as it searched for its attacker, but Skadi was gone again.

The laughter continued, _"You~ Can't~ Catch~ Me~"_ She teased through the Battlefield, her voice being disguised by the Double Team copies.

Voltorb Screeched with anger and continued to fire off his attacks.

Skadi halted her taunts for a moment, as her sensitive ears were assaulted by the Screech. She winced but shook it off, maintaining her Double Team taunting.

"Voltorb, stop!" Surge had enough of it. "Use Shock Wave!"

The Voltorb stopped its attacks long enough to see the logic behind it. A Shock Wave would hit her.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, _'Smart. A Shockwave would remove the copies, and guarantee a hit.'_ He thought to himself. _'Not bad, Surge. But not good enough. Skadi is quite tricky.'_ He had given Skadi one move to use at her own discretion, one that would come in handy here.

Voltorb held still, and started to glow a bright yellow. "Voool-Torb!" It _pulsed_ , and a yellow ring of Electricity expanded across the field in all directions, zapping the ground as it went.

The snow melted under the attack, and the copies of Vulpix vanished into the air with a cry.

Everyone watched with bated breath as the fog from the melted snow cleared... Once again revealing empty space.

"How?!" Surge did a double-take, and searched the field again. He spotted a small hole in the ground on Naruto's side, and widened his eyes.

It was too late.

Skadi burst from the ground directly under Voltorb, and crashed into it with a powerful Dig attack.

Voltorb let out a mechanical cry as it took the attack, and glared at the Vulpix as it recovered. It realized Skadi was close, and it had enough of this battle. Still furious from the constant tormenting, and anger boosted by the Swagger, it launched a deadly move.

Voltorb let out a final cry as it glowed a bright white.

The audience all gasped as they realized what move it was, and Surge shouted at his own Pokemon, "Stop it, Voltorb!"

Naruto widened his eyes in shock, "Skadi look out!"

 **BOOM!**

A thunderous explosion shook the walls of the Gym as the Voltorb Self-Destructed.

A cry of pain struck at the hearts of all of the spectators as the cute fox Pokemon was blasted back to Naruto's side of the field. Skadi crashed into the ground in front of Naruto with a whimper.

Naruto looked at the limp form of his Pokemon with shock. He wanted nothing more than to rush out and check on her, but that would force him to forfeit the match, and he wouldn't waste his Pokemon's efforts. He knew Skadi would want him to finish the match, but he still wanted to rush her off to the Pokemon Center.

He balled his fist as he waited for her to give him something, anything, to let him know she was fine.

He glared across the field at his shocked opponent, resisting the urge to curse Surge out for that move. He knew it wasn't Surge's fault, if anything it was his for provoking the Voltorb into using Self-Destruct. But he expected the Voltorb to be much more disciplined, and resist the taunting a bit more than it did.

He supposed he should've expected it. The Voltorb wasn't a member of Surge's personal team, so it likely didn't react to his orders as well as it could have.

He dropped his glare and watched the smoke clear, revealing the unconsious Voltorb.

The Ref caught the swirls in the eyes of the Voltorb, indicating that it had fainted, but waited for the Vulpix to move. If the Vulpix didn't move in ten seconds, he'd call it a draw, per the League Rules.

A small mewl caught his attention and Naruto watched with relief as Skadi made her way back to her feet.

 _"Whaaa~,"_ He heard her whine through the Bond as she shook off the shock from the blast. _"That unstable Mimic really surprised me."_

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and smiled down at his Ice-type. "Are you feeling okay after that?" She sounded fine, but the voice through the Bond was the Pokemon's _thoughts_ , so he couldn't really tell from her voice.

 _"I'm fine Whiskers, I just feel a bit dizzy."_ She tried to turn around, but flinched when she put weight on her leg.

"Guess not then. I'll pull you out for now." Skadi looked a bit upset, but didn't complain. She had taken one down in her first Gym Battle, even if it wasn't very elegant. She was satisfied.

The Ref failed to contain his smile as he saw the little fox get back on her feet. "Voltorb is unable to battle, Vulpix is the winner." He turned to Naruto, "Will you be switching Pokemon?"

Naruto nodded and recalled Skadi, giving her a mental 'thank you'. The hailstorm died down as Skadi left the Battlefield.

Surge recalled his Pokemon with a heavy heart. He couldn't believe he had lost control so easily. It _wasn't_ Naruto's fault. The kid was using tactics, and Surge respected that. It was _his_ fault, and his Voltorb's fault. He should have trained his team harder, and made sure it was safe to use in battle, regardless of the tactics against him.

He sighed and clipped the ball back onto his belt. He'd definitely be removing that Voltorb from his Tier two team, at least until he could fix that problem.

He was confident in his personal Electrode's abilities, but after seeing that...

He shook off his doubt and turned to his challenger.

"I owe you both an apology, Naruto." Surge crossed his arms. "That little fox showed more strength and skill than I've seen in the last dozen Trainers. I cannot _believe_ that my own Pokemon would use such a petty move." He said genuinely, still angry at his Voltorb.

While it wasn't against any rules to use Self-Destruct, it was extremely frowned upon in the League competitions. Including Gym Battles. And for a _Gym Leader_ to use it? Well, it made sense for Surge to be apologizing, even if he didn't order it. No one wanted to watch a Pokemon explode themselves, even if it was the only move left.

Naruto nodded to the apology, but didn't reply.

"Trainers, call out your next Pokemon."

Naruto reached for his next ball, and threw his newest.

"Burn brightly, Amaterasu!"

"Go, Magneton!"

Naruto smirked at his opponent, it was lucky that he threw Amy second, she would have a strong advantage against the Electric/Steel-type.

Surge frowned at yet another small Pokemon. He was sure that Naruto had some power-houses hidden. At the very least a Lucario, he had seen the beautiful white Pokemon during his brief stay in Rota... Grace, if he remembered correctly. Why wasn't he showing them? Surge held his tongue this time. He was alert now, and wouldn't underestimate another one of Naruto's team. Even if it was tiny.

"Begin!" The Ref started the second round.

"Thunder Shock!" Surge started off with the same tactic.

Amy was prepared, and dodged the small bolt of lightning.

"Ember!"

Amy returned fire with a low growl. Her mouth opened, and a dozen fireballs shot toward the Magneton. The Electric-type didn't have time to dodge, and flew back a bit as it took the hit.

"Flame Wheel!"

"Metal Sound!"

Amy dashed forward, her orange coat bursting into flames as she ran. She winced as a metal grinding noise grated on her ears, but she pushed on. She lunged at the Magneton, crashing into it with a Flame Wheel.

Surge frowned as he took two hits in quick succession. _'He swapped tactics quickly. He went from guerrilla warfare to an all-out blitzkrieg? Interesting.'_

"Fire Fang, while you're close!" Naruto called out.

Surge blanched as the Growlithe latched onto his Pokemon with burning fangs before he could react. That was sloppy of him. "Use Discharge!"

Magneton released a bright flare of yellow Electricity around it, zapping the Growlithe that was still hanging onto it tightly.

Naruto bit his lip, "Hold on tight, Amy! And use Flame Wheel, once more!"

Amy let out another growl as she tightened her jaw around the Magneton. She burst into flames again, enveloping them both in a ball of Fire and Electricity.

Both Trainers watched closely as the two Pokemon kept up their attacks, draining each other rapidly.

Surge had faith in his Pokemon, they were all trained to endure punishment, and a little fire wouldn't beat Magneton.

Naruto released first, "Drop down, now!"

Amy let go instantly, and fell to the ground, taking a moment to shake off her injuries.

Naruto smirked as he called his next move. Just because Grace didn't like to use it, didn't mean she wouldn't teach it to others. "Use Reversal!"

Amaterasu exploded with angry red energy, and lunged at the Magneton with a roar. The attack was boosted by Amy's wounds, and did a large amount of damage.

The Magneton crashed into the ground, its eyes filled with swirls.

"Magneton is unable to battle, Growlithe is the winner."

Naruto smiled happily at his Growlithe. "That was an amazing job Amy! You took down your opponent fast!"

Amaterasu barked in agreement, not at all bothered by her injuries anymore. _"For my Trainer, anything."_ She said through the bond.

He was filled with joy at his Pokemon's words. Growlithe really was a perfect match for him. Not to say he loved any of his other Pokemon less, but he still admired Amy's loyalty greatly.

She trotted over and lied down beside him, knowing her Trainer would never allow her to fight twice in a row without rest. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in her, but she was injured and she understood that.

He looked down to her with a small bit of amusement, "You are staying outside then?"

She gave another bark of approval and he nodded in acknowledgment.

He turned to the Ref, "I'll be substituting."

The Ref gave a nod. "Trainers call out your next Pokemon."

He rubbed a ball on his belt with a smile, _"You ready?"_ He asked through the Bond.

 _"Indeed. I'm sure it will be a good show."_ She responded.

They each pulled out their next Pokeball and expanded it.

Surge let out a chuckle, "You know Naruto, I really expected to destroy you the first time you challenged me. Guess I should've known better. You were raised by the _Crimson Princess_ after all. Regardless, I'd like to say I've enjoyed this match so far. So much in fact, that I'll be using a Raichu against you." He said as he showed his next Pokeball. It wasn't his Raichu partner, but it was still much stronger than the other Pokemon he had used so far.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Gee thanks." He said with a bit of sarcasm. He smirked at Surge, "I've got something special prepared for you as well Surge. It took me a bit of time, hard work, and determination, but I managed to pull it off." He raised his ball, "I hope you enjoy!"

"Go, Raichu!"

"Crush them, Scylla!"

With a fearsome roar, a large Gyarados appeared in a bright red flash, towering over the Raichu with a deadly look in her eye.

Total silence.

Naruto had a proud smile as everyone was shocked into silence.

He had released a _Gyarados_.

A Water/Flying-type, that required _water_ to move.

Inside of an _Electric_ Gym.

While normally a Gyarados would be a powerful opponent, even to an Electric-type. The double weakness was compounded by the lack of movement. So in order for this to even be a close match, Scylla would have to beat the Raichu, while holding still, without getting hit very much.

 _Normally_.

But Naruto U-zu-ma-ki, didn't know the meaning of the word _normal_.

He was completely confident in his Gyarados' ability to secure a _total_ victory. He wasn't going to win. He was going to _crush them_.

The silence was broken by Lt. Surge's uproarious laughter. He got ahold of himself and smiled to Naruto. "God damn!" He said in good spirits, "You truly are the most unpredictable Trainer I've ever faced. A Gyarados! Ha!" He laughed again, "I doubt I would've seen it coming, even if someone had warned me beforehand!"

Naruto gave a mock bow, "Well, I'm glad you are entertained, but I hope you know I'm not finished yet." His grin turned feral. "The show has just begun!"

Surge chuckled and signaled to the Ref.

"Begin!"

"Do it, Scylla!"

Surge held his command, and watched with interest. What the hell was this kid going to _do_ now?

Scylla let out another roar as she focused her Aura. She had been practicing from the first day she had been captured, for this. Naruto had asked a simple question, one that she didn't have an answer to. So, they worked together, and found that answer.

She chuckled at the memory. "Why can't Gyarados fly?" It was a simple question. But most _humans_ would just scoff or laugh and consider it a 'childish' question. Perhaps give some equally childish response, like 'They weren't born with wings.' She was not like those humans, and thought long and hard about that question. Despite her knowledge, she couldn't think of anything conclusive.

The next day she had told Naruto she couldn't answer it, and he looked at her with a mischievous smile on his face. She asked for the answer, and he replied with, "Why not?"

She was perplexed by the response, and thought about it harder. It clicked in her mind, and she spoke to him again. He wasn't asking why they _couldn't_ fly. He was asking why everyone _thought_ they couldn't fly.

And so they worked together. Naruto had plenty of experience with Flying-type Aura, having been naturally attuned to it, and shared his knowledge with her. It was slow, and difficult, but soon enough, she learned to levitate.

It wasn't much. Just a few inches off the ground, but the implications were limitless. She could _fly_. The thought excited her, and she doubled her effort, training her hardest to push her ability to its limits. It was hard, she felt like her body simply refused to be in the air, but the more she 'flew' the easier it got. Eventually, something clicked, and her body felt weightless as she lifted off the ground, slithering through the air even easier than she did in the water.

She cackled with glee, and woke Naruto in the night. He snuck out of his room, and they flew around the area until dawn. Each one loving the feeling of freedom that flight provided.

They planned to use it on the first Gym they could, and while she was a bit nervous to test it against an Electric Gym, she had a strong desire to prove herself to her Trainer.

She opened her eyes, and floated off the ground. She slithered in place, as if swimming on air, for show. She took a quick glance around, and noticed everyone had their jaws on the ground. _"Humans really are strange."_

Naruto snickered at his favorite Water-type, _"I'm really happy you figured this out Grace. It just proves how awesome you are."_

She happily accepted her Trainer's praise, _"Thank you, Naruto. I enjoyed working with you on this little 'Special Project'"_ And she did. She found him fascinating to speak to. At first, he was a clown, presenting his ideas with child-like innocence and wonder. But if you looked past it, you could see he held a completely unique perspective on the world. He saw things in entirely different ways than the majority, and found simple solutions for complicated problems.

'Flight' was only Step _One_ of the Project that they had created, and the other parts would come with time. But it was still good progress, and would give her an extremely useful tool in battle.

 _"Well, I think we've kept our dear audience frozen in shock long enough, how about we make some noise to wake them up?"_

 _"Yes, I suppose it is time to 'Let the Monster out' as you would say."_ She said.

He laughed as she put an emphasis on 'clearing her throat' in the Bond. She reared her head back and let out another roar, snapping the audience out of their daze.

Naruto gave Surge a big smile. "Dragon Rage." It was time to get back to the battle.

Surge snapped his eyes back to the field, "Dodge, Raichu!"

The large Mouse Pokemon dove to the side, dodging the blue-fire of Dragon Rage by a hair's breadth.

"Twister."

Scylla swung her tail down to the field with a smirk, a small tornado formed around her tail, and launched toward the Raichu.

The Raichu tried to dodge again, but wasn't fast enough. The powerful attack crashed into the Electric-type, sending him flying across the field.

Surge growled, "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Fly up." Naruto countered.

Raichu shot a lightning bolt off as quickly as it could, but Scylla flew up even faster. She reached the roof of the large building quickly, and awaited his next orders.

"Hydro Pump."

Scylla fired off a powerful torrent of water, cutting across the field until it hit Raichu, soaking it in the powerful stream.

"Use Thunderbolt in the water!" Surge commanded, planning to Electrocute the Gyarados with its own attack.

Naruto shrugged, "Cut your attack, and use Thrash."

Scylla stopped her attack just as the Raichu fired off its Thunderbolt, and flew down to the field with vicious speed.

She spun around before Raichu could recover, and whipped her tail down violently.

A loud crash sounded throughout the Gym, and Scylla prepared another strike.

She swung down, but stopped her attack short, backing off as she noticed the Raichu was unconscious.

If she were any other Gyarados, she likely would've just thrashed about violently until she ran out of steam. She was much more _civilized_ than the rest of her species, and never lost her head.

She 'swam' back to Naruto and coiled up in front of him, patiently waiting for the Ref to call it.

Surge let out a chuckle despite himself, and recalled his Pokemon. He looked around the Battlefield, Naruto had truly made a mess of his Gym. There were patches of dirty snow scattered around, scorch marks from the Thunder Wave and Fire attacks, pools of water from the Hydro pump, and rubble all around. This field would be out of commission for a while.

He sent a quick glare to the Ref, and brought back his attention, "Raichu is unable to battle, Gyarados is the winner! Since the Gym Leader has lost all three Pokemon, the challenger, Naruto Uzumaki, is the winner!"

Total silence.

Surge's eyebrow twitched.

He turned to the group of Cadets, "You useless maggots better start clapping! Or you'll spend the rest of the day running laps!" He shouted at them.

Suddenly, Naruto was getting a very enthusiastic standing ovation from the group of Cadets.

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head as he recalled Scylla.

 _"Great job, Scylla!"_

He heard a satisfied sigh through the Bond, _"I must say, it did feel good to cut loose."_

He heard footsteps moving quickly behind him and he reacted just fast enough to catch the red bullet as she crashed into him once again.

Kushina squeezed the life out of her son, "That was such a good battle, you know?! My son is such a badass!"

Leaf and Hinata followed behind Kushina giving their own congratulations.

He smiled and thanked them, turning to the final member of the group.

Jessie was standing behind the other three women, looking at him with a bit of curiosity. She noticed his expecting eyes again and sighed, "It was a good battle." She said simply, turning away from his bright smile before she did anything embarrassing.

Leaf joined in on Kushina's excitement, "Yeah it was! Skadi was so cute! She was beating that Voltorb so easily! How did she make it so mad?"

Kushina nodded her head quickly in agreement, "That Growlithe was strong too. She latched onto that Magneton and refused to let go! And your Gyarados _flew_! How did you _do_ that?!" Kushina babbled alongside Leaf.

Naruto backed off with a sweatdrop, _'Now there's two of them. Oh boy.'_

"I'm interested to hear that as well." Surge said as he approached them. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before, little man. It was quite a shock."

Naruto felt the eyes of everyone on him, waiting for an answer. He gave a cheeky smile and shrugged, "Scylla is just that awesome!" He could explain the long complicated process of using Aura to recreate Flight in a water-based Pokemon, but he didn't see much point. Gyarados was likely the only Pokemon that could do it, since it was half Flying-type. Not to mention that a Trainer who wanted to teach their Gyarados to fly would have to have a good understanding of Flying-type Aura. He was likely the only one in the world that _could_ teach a Gyarados to fly.

Surge didn't buy it, but let the matter drop. It's not like he needed to know. His Pokemon were all Electric-types, anyway. He pointed at another random Cadet, "You! The one with the stupid look on his face! Go get the Badge case, double time!"

The Cadet was conflicted about responding to that, but wasn't going to push Surge's patience. He ran off to the back of the Gym and came back a moment later with a black case in his hands.

Surge took it and dismissed the Cadet, opening the case for Naruto, "Alright, Naruto. Here's the Thunder Badge, you earned it. You showed me more power packed in those small Pokemon than I've seen in most Challengers. You've got a good head, too. I'm not one for complicated strategies, but I can still respect them."

Naruto took the Thunder Badge, which was shaped like an eight-pointed golden star, with a smile on his face. "Thanks, Surge! I had a lot of fun!"

Surge snorted, "I wasn't trying to make it _fun_." His Gym was supposed to be a Battle, a War. But Naruto had come in and completely derailed that aim, placing Surge on the defensive from the very beginning.

"Well, I _was_." Naruto retorted.

Surge chuckled and turned to the other two challengers, "So? Who's next?"

Leaf pushed Hinata forward with a smile, "You went last in Pewter, Hinata! So you get to go next!"

Hinata nodded and went forward.

The group went back up to the Spectator's stands to watch the next match.

* * *

 **Jessie's Perspective.**

Jessie was feeling mixed emotions as she leaned against the railing to watch Hinata's match.

She was slowly trying to form a new opinion of the whiskered blonde standing beside her. He had completely thrown her mind through a loop.

He was nice to her, a bit too nice if she was being honest. She didn't feel any ulterior motive, but she still had trouble placing any trust in his words. Perhaps she was being too suspicious, but a few years in crime would do that to a person.

She thought back to his match. He was good. Better than she assumed, even after he had captured her so easily.

His first Pokemon had caught her eye immediately, an adorable snow-white fox. It was one of the cutest Pokemon she had ever seen, and she didn't even know it had existed until he threw her out. It was an Ice-type, which only complemented its beauty. The battle was difficult to keep up with, due to the Vulpix's white coat blending with the snow, but she was impressed by what little she could recognize.

She knew he did something to make his Pokemon blend in perfectly, and she lost sight on the cute fox. She heard a bit of yipping coming from the field, in at least a dozen different places. It sounded like laughter, as if the fox found the battle more amusing than anything.

The Voltorb raged around, and Naruto kept a cool head, ordering his Vulpix to continue the harassment. It went on for a while, a mixture of verbal tormenting, and quick attacks.

But then, the Voltorb _exploded_ , and Jessie felt her heart clench. The Vulpix flew out of the smoke with a heart-breaking whimper, crashing to the ground in front of her Trainer. Jessie couldn't believe how fast the battle had escalated, and stole a look at Naruto's face.

He was _devastated_. Not for the battle, or for his strategy failing, but for his Pokemon. She saw him close his eyes and try to calm himself, but when he opened them to look at Surge, she saw it again.

Powerful, icy-cold eyes glaring murder at his opponent. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered those cold orbs glaring at _her_. She was surprised at the amount of hostility she saw, but once again, he blinked, and it was gone. He looked back down at his now-standing Pokemon with warm, proud eyes. The relief was clear on his face as he recalled his Pokemon with a smile, and she found herself drawn to that smile.

He started the next round, and this one was much easier to follow. He used a Growlithe, a Pokemon she was familiar with, and fought closer to a standard Trainer's style. She saw him use powerful attacks, opting to dodge or simply push through the enemy attacks. Focusing on a strong offense.

She couldn't say the battle was very interesting, it was just two power-types butting heads, but she did find herself watching it closely.

The third battle took her by surprise, it started with a brief back and forth between the Trainers. Naruto seemed all too pleased with himself as he threw his next Pokemon.

Her heart nearly stopped as a roar shook the stands, and a _Gyarados_ appeared. He laughed at their reactions and promised another surprise as the battle started.

Then, the Gyarados _flew_.

She watched in shock as the Gyarados floated off the ground as if swimming through invisible water. Her mind made the connection as she heard Kushina start laughing beside her. He was using Aura! He had to be. There was no other explanation.

Her views were shaken again. She had no idea you could do something like that with Aura!

Her heart calmed itself down again and she thought about it. It made sense, in a way. He was the Grandmaster of the Order, and she had heard Kushina call him a prodigy several times. But she didn't really believe it. She assumed it was just a happy mother exaggerating about her son's achievements.

She struggled to understand the blonde. He was an enigma. Cheerful, yet serious. Silly, yet smart. Calm, yet fierce. Surge had described him perfectly. He was _unpredictable_.

She had given a brief congratulations on his victory, not wanting to be hit by another 'Puppy-Dog Eyes', and moved back up to the stands to watch the next match.

He climbed up after her, and leaned into the railing beside her, giving her a big smile as she glanced at him. She was slightly irritated that he was being so friendly with her, especially after she had spent so long worrying about it, but she was on her first mission. If she couldn't handle an excitable blonde, it would just make her look bad in the eyes of her Master. So she silently tried to ignore him.

She glanced back down at the field as the sound of battle reached her ears. She didn't realize it had already started.

Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the Pokemon on the field.

* * *

Hinata's Tyrunt slid back as it took a Thunder Punch from Surge's Electabuzz.

The attack wasn't very effective, thanks to Tyrunt's Rock-type, but it still packed some power behind it.

"Fire." Hinata commanded.

Tyrunt flashed red and opened her mouth, revealing a bright white ball of energy.

Bide. An attack that builds up from the energy given by her opponent's attacks, and fires back with double power.

Tyrunt fired her bright white beam, and it blasted into the Electabuzz quickly, sending it reeling back from the force.

Hinata narrowed her eyes and continued her assault, "Dragon Claw."

"Thunderbolt!" Surge shouted.

Tyrunt charged through the Thunderbolt without flinching, barely even paying attention to the Electricity passing through it.

She slid to a stop in front of Electabuzz, and lashed out with sharp glowing claws, striking her opponent with Dragon Claw.

Electabuzz stumbled back with a cry.

"Low kick!"

"Buzz!" The Electabuzz dove for a leg sweep, pulling Tyrunt's two large legs out from under it.

Tyrunt fell to the ground with a crash. It didn't weigh much, but the Low Kick was still a super-effective move, so it did damage.

"Now, Thunder Wave!"

Electrabuzz fired off a quick burst of lightning, paralyzing the Tyrunt while it was still getting back on its feet.

"Earthquake." Hinata said calmly, ignoring the paralysis.

Tyrunt stomped her legs on the ground hard. The field rumbled with the effects of the Earthquake, and the ground beneath the Electabuzz exploded.

Hinata straightened up, proud of her Pokemon, "Now use Dragon Tail."

She had taken a small amount of inspiration from Naruto's battling with Serket, and started off her Gym Battle with a Stealth Rock. Any Pokemon Surge switched to would take damage upon entering the field. Including Pokemon that she forced him to switch to.

Tyrunt slammed its bright green glowing tail into the Electabuzz before it could get back on its feet.

A red light enveloped the Electabuzz as it was forcefully returned to its Pokeball.

A white flash, and suddenly a Magnemite had appeared on the field, looking quite confused. The Magnemite barely had time to gain its bearings before it was surrounded by large floating rocks.

The rocks crashed into the Magnemite as Stealth Rock activated.

Surge frowned as his Pokemon was forced onto the field, but didn't let it distract him. "Use Mirror Shot!"

The Magnemite blasted the rocks away with a white flash, sending a small ball of energy into the Tyrunt.

* * *

Jessie watched the battle closely, interested in the unique Pokemon of Hinata. She couldn't recognize it, but it was powerful.

She was surprised by the change in personality the young woman underwent. Hinata seemed to shed her quiet, kind personality, for a much more confident stance. She called her moves clearly, and didn't even blink when her Pokemon took a hit. The only visible reaction she caught, was a small smile Hinata gave as her Pokemon got back on its feet. Jessie assumed her caring personality was still there, if only concealed.

She took another look at the blue and white Pokemon on the field, as it took another Thunderbolt from the Magnemite.

It was sturdy, and hardly flinched as it took attacks. She saw it had used Dragon Tail and Claw, and based on the blue coloring, it would make sense if it was a Dragon-type, but she had never heard of it before. "Just what is that Pokemon?" She muttered in thought.

"Tyrunt." Came a voice from beside her, making her jolt in surprise. She was still focused on the battle, and forgot that she wasn't watching alone.

"It's a fossil Pokemon, a Rock/Dragon-type, Hinata found the fossil back in Pewter and revived it. She's been training hard for this Battle." Naruto said with a soft smile. That Tyrunt had guts, and refused to back down during their spars. He had a lot of respect for the Royal Pokemon.

Jessie tried not to look at him, still determined to ignore him. So it was a Rock-type too? That explains the Stealth Rock at least.

"Isn't it Shiny? I've seen a Tyrunt before, and it was brown, not blue." Kushina asked from the other side of Naruto.

Naruto laughed as he watched Tyrunt use Crunch on the Magnemite, and shook it around with her jaws like a chew toy. "Yeah it's Shiny. She got extremely lucky with it."

Kushina smiled proudly as she watched her apprentice battle, "It looks well-trained, they are usually pretty hard to keep control of."

"All of Hinata's Pokemon obey her perfectly. It's pretty impressive when you consider how gentle she is. She never really has to raise her voice or anything, she just gives them an order, and they do it." Naruto said as he remembered Hinata training her Tyrunt. It only acted spoiled the very first day, and was perfectly gentle the next. He never figured out how she did it.

"And your team?" Kushina asked, "From what I've seen, they don't have any problem listening to you."

"Yep! They are all pretty relaxed though, and don't make any problems for me," He replied.

Kushina cheered as the Magnemite finally fell to the ground unconscious. She saw Surge send his Electabuzz back out, and smiled as it was hit by the Stealth Rock.

Jessie took a glance at the cheering red-head. She seemed to be much happier in the presence of her son. Kushina was always more serious at the Order. Only getting excited whenever they talked about fashion, or her Pokemon team. But now, Jessie was seeing a different side of her. A bubbly, cheerful, Mother.

She had gotten along well with Kushina since she had joined the Order. They bonded rather quickly over fashion. Their tastes were different, Kushina preferred a more homely, tomboyish style, rather than her own flashy taste. But they still discussed it, and Jessie was happy to share some of her ideas to Kushina, helping her Master with her clothing-making hobby.

Kushina was always nice to her, even when she was strict, and Jessie found herself liking her a lot more than her old Boss.

But now that she was seeing the two Uzumaki together, she was starting to notice the similarities between them. They could definitely be Mother and Son, even if they looked strikingly different.

She watched as Hinata finished her battle.

Tyrunt and Electabuzz had knocked each other out, leaving Hinata with two Pokemon remaining, and Surge one.

She had thrown out Sneasel to battle Surge's Jolteon.

The battle was interesting, it turned into a speed contest pretty quickly, but with Surge focusing more on power, Sneasel had the advantage.

They traded blows for quite a while. Thunderbolts, and Double Kicks met Feint Attacks and Ice Shards.

It was a close match, but Jolteon gave first, and collapsed from a final Ice Punch.

She watched as Naruto, Kushina, and Leaf all cheered happily for Hinata. She silently cheered for Hinata as well, the young Nurse was her Master's apprentice, so she felt a slight connection to her. Maybe the next couple of weeks wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

 **After the Gym Battle.**

Naruto took back his tray of Pokeballs from Nurse Joy, giving her a bright smile in thanks.

They were back at the Pokemon Center in high spirits. Each one, now carrying a Thunder Badge.

Surge had told them that his Gym carried enough Pokemon to battle them all in one day, thanks to his large group of Trainees. So Leaf had battled directly after Hinata, coming out with a victory.

He was alone at the moment. The four women had gone up to their rooms, Kushina and Jessie booked their own.

"So you defeated Surge then?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Yep! All three of us did." Naruto replied as he released Skadi onto the counter.

She looked up at him and yipped, jumping into his arms.

"Aww, what a cute Pokemon." Nurse Joy commented.

"Thanks, she really did good today in the Gym Battle, but she took a nasty hit so I'm glad she is okay." He sent another grateful look to the Nurse Joy.

The front door opened and Nurse Joy gasped, "Oh my!"

Naruto turned to look, and sweatdropped.

A very familiar trio were on their last legs as they stumbled into the Center.

Ash Ketchum fell to his knees, cradling his Pikachu, "Finally! We made it to Vermilion!"

Misty blanched as she saw her clothing was covered in dirt, "Ahhh. I want to go take a bath." She whined.

Brock panted as he readjusted his backpack. "Man, we really have to get something decent to eat. Berries just won't cut it anymore."

Ash and Pikachu had matching stomach growls as they were reminded of food. Ash groaned and got to his feet, walking toward the counter.

He froze as his eyes met Naruto's.

Naruto let out a chuckle and gave him a small wave, "Yo!"

Ash's hunger was forgotten as he pointed at Naruto accusingly, "How did you get here before us?! You said you'd be staying on Route 6 for two weeks!"

Naruto nodded in amusement, "Yep! Two weeks ago!"

Ash was extremely confused, his mind slowed by the lack of food.

Misty gave a weak wave, "Hey, Naruto. Do you mind showing us to the Cafeteria? We're starving."

Naruto chuckled and offered his arm to Misty, "Well then, let's get you some food, my lady."

She grabbed onto his side, far too tired to respond, and let him pull her to the Cafeteria.

The two men grumbled about being forgotten as they followed behind.

* * *

Naruto's eye twitched as he watched Ash dig into his food.

"So let me get this straight... You guys left before us, somehow got turned around, went all the way back _up_ Route 6, all the way up to Route 24. Then Ash captured a Squirtle and a Krabby, and you guys went back _down_ Route 6, getting lost in the forest for two weeks, before finally making it to Vermilion?"

Ash nodded in between bites, not seeing the problem.

"That's right." Brock agreed as he continued to eat.

Misty slammed her head on the table. "I'm surrounded by idiots! Help me, Naruto!" Misty sobbed as she ate.

Naruto shook his head sadly, "Whatever they've got... It's beyond my abilities I'm afraid."

Ash looked a bit annoyed by the insult, but pointed at Naruto with a fork, "I'm still going to beat you to the Gym! I can't believe you made it here first!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "Uhhh, I actually got my Badge earlier today." He laughed at Ash's devastated expression.

Ash looked as if his world had shattered, "How?!"

Naruto shrugged, "I arrived here yesterday evening, and challenged Surge at around noon. We all did, actually."

Ash was disappointed, but gave a small smirk, "So you won. What was the Gym Leader like?"

Naruto blinked at the question, "You don't know?" He asked surprised.

Ash shook his head, "How would I? Like I said, we just got here a minute ago. I was planning on asking around the Pokemon Center, if I could find any Trainers here."

Naruto sighed, well at least he was planning on asking around. That's progress, right? He looked back up, "Ash... You do realize you are traveling with two Gym Leaders right? Two Gym Leaders, that have likely worked alongside Surge in the past and could probably tell you about him?"

Ash was completely stunned by the realization. He didn't even think about that!

Naruto laughed again, and turned to the other two. "Well, is there a reason you two didn't feel like informing him ahead of time?"

The two immediately looked away, whistling.

"You didn't think about it, did you?" He asked.

They both had the decency to blush in embarrassment.

He rolled his eyes and addressed Ash, "Well, that's going to be a disadvantage for you. What Pokemon were you planning on using?"

Ash thought about it for a moment, "I'd like to use my new Squirtle and Krabby. They are strong, and I'm sure they'll do great!" He said confidently.

"Terrible idea." Naruto mercilessly crushed his spirits.

Ash choked on his drink, "What?! Why? I know I haven't had them as long as the rest of my group, but they were already powerful when I captured them!"

Naruto shook his head, "That's not it. I guess I'll let you know, since you would probably just find out tomorrow. Lt. Surge is an Electric-type Gym Leader, and focuses on pure power. If you were to throw out a Water-type, like a Squirtle or Krabby, it would most likely faint after one or two hits."

Ash looked shocked. They would be defeated that easily? He was slightly more uncertain about his chances now, "Then what do I do?"

Naruto tapped the table, "And _that_ is the question. I suggest you think about it tonight. Think hard. If you go into this half-assed, Surge will know, and he will beat you faster than I did back in Route 6." Naruto saw his words had gotten through to Ash, and stood up.

"Alright, guys. It was good seeing you again, but I'm going to head off. Maybe I'll catch you in the morning?"

The trio said their goodbyes and Naruto headed off to the training field.

* * *

Kushina met him halfway.

"Awww," She smiled as she noticed the little fox waving a tail at her from Naruto's neck. She reached out and scratched behind an ear. "This little girl is _so cute_ ~! Where did you find an Alolan Vulpix anyway?" She asked, slightly jealous that her son had such a cute Pokemon.

Skadi mewled under her affections, and licked at her hand.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Riley gave her to me as a promotion present! Didn't he tell you?"

She shook her head, "I didn't hear anything about it, I just told him to call you when he got back to base."

"Her name is Skadi, and as you can tell, she's quite the little prankster. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun with her."

 _'A Prankster, huh? Guess her little show back at the Gym makes sense then.'_ Kushina thought as she pulled the fox off of Naruto's neck. She held Skadi in her arms, "She was great today. How'd you come up with that strategy anyway? I've never seen anything quite like that before." She looked up at her son. She knew he was a genius, and had plenty of experience with strategy. He applied that knowledge both in his missions, and in his pranks. But she was always curious, and loved to hear him talk about his planning.

"I got the idea from Skadi, actually. She has a habit of giving everyone a nickname. She calls me Whiskers, and called the Voltorb a Mimic." Kushina let out a light laugh and looked back down at the little Ice-type. That was too cute.

Naruto continued, "So I just found a way to apply that to her battle-style. She taunts the opposing Pokemon while hiding in the snow, and uses quick attacks to whittle down her opponent safely."

She giggled as Skadi gave a yip of agreement from her arms. They walked out into the Training Grounds, and her senses tingled. "You know we are being followed, right?" She said quietly, stroking Skadi's stomach.

Naruto sighed, "Yeah, I know. I was waiting for them to come out, but it doesn't seem like that's going to work."

He summoned an Aura Sphere in his hand, and casually tossed it to the side.

The ball flew fast, and vanished into the bushes, crashing into the ground in front of their intruder.

A growl responded, and the yellow flash of Electricity filled the area as a Thunderbolt fired back at them.

Naruto summoned a quick, silver, Protect, blocking the strike. "Hold Skadi for a moment, will you?" He asked his Mother as he walked over to a nearby Battlefield.

The Luxray hopped out of the bushes and stood in front of him. Eyes locked on his Pokeball belt.

Naruto followed the line of sight, "You want to battle again?" He asked.

The Luxray growled and fired another Thunderbolt in response.

Naruto raised his eyebrows in momentary surprise and blocked it again, "You want to battle me?"

She inclined her head, and pawed the ground.

Naruto chuckled, "Alright then! Let's get to it."

He rolled his shoulders a bit in preparation and dashed forward before the Luxray could dodge.

"Dynamic Entry!" He called out as he jumped into the air, striking Luxray with a jump kick to the jaw. Technically, the move was called 'Jump Kick', but he figured 'Dynamic Entry' was more dramatic.

The Luxray spun her head back around, and light-blue sparks of Electricity jumped across her fur. She growled, and the sparks quickly expanded, covering her body in a large amount of Electricity. She dove forward quickly, and slammed her body into the Trainer.

Naruto caught the head of the Luxray under his arm, and held tightly as he slid back from the force. He ignored the biting pain of the Spark attack as Electricity surged through him. He grunted with exertion as he lifted the Luxray off the ground, throwing her over his shoulder with a Vital Throw.

Luxray crashed into the ground with a cry of pain.

Naruto waited as his opponent got back to her feet. He couldn't resist smirking as she glared at him.

She flared to life with Electricity again, and fired a Discharge.

Naruto hopped out of the way easily. "Swapped to range when you realized I'm a Fighter? Too bad for you. You'll never hit me like that." He taunted, and jumped back again as he dodged another Thunderbolt. He laughed cheerfully as he continued to move, dodging every lightning attack she threw at him.

He stopped for a moment and gave her another smirk.

He vanished, in an instant.

She felt pain as a powerful Mach Punch struck deeply into her side.

Before she could even cry out, he ducked down into a Low Kick, sweeping her legs out from under her.

He latched onto her neck again as she hit the ground, and held her in a Submission.

He felt her start to resist, and channeled Aura into her from his grip.

 _"Why are you so adamant about fighting me?"_ He asked through the temporary Bond.

 _"Release me, human!"_ An aggressive female voice growled in response as she tried to get back on her feet.

Naruto tightened his grip, and put his weight on her body, _"Now why would I do that? You're just going to attack me again."_

She snarled and covered her body in bright Electricity with Spark.

Naruto stiffened as the attack shocked him, but held firm with his grip. He released one of his hands and gave her a light Karate Chop to the head, _"Stop it."_ He said as if scolding a child.

She growled again and her fur started sparking as she prepared another attack.

 _"Stop it."_ He chopped her again, amused by the attacks.

She relented for a moment, _"How can you resist my attacks? I used enough Electricity to make a Machoke faint."_ Her voice had a mixture of curiosity in it.

Naruto laughed, _"I'm an Aura Guardian, I thought it was kind of obvious."_ He ignored the slight growl from the Pokemon under him, _"That, and Grace hits me a lot harder when we train together, so you'll have to use more power if you want a reaction out of me."_

The Luxray considered testing it, but instead focused on his words. _"An Aura Guardian."_ She repeated, testing the words for herself.

 _"Yep. Are you going to tell me why you were attacked me on the Route to Vermilion?"_ He questioned.

 _"I was searching for a strong Trainer. My last one was weak, and left me at the city's Gym."_ She answered.

 _"What about Surge? Surely he would be the best to train an Electric-type."_ Naruto suggested.

 _"No. He is strong, but not what I am looking for. He does not aim higher. He is content to stay as a Gym Leader. You defeated him, didn't you?"_ The Luxray said. She had watched the battle, and Naruto had shown that pure power would only bring you so far.

She came to a decision. _"I need a strong Trainer, and you are the strongest here, Guardian."_ She said.

He was surprised that she would join him, but had a feeling that was going to be the case. She had been following him since they first battled. _"Why?"_ He asked again.

 _"I want to be the strongest..."_ She trailed off as she fainted.

Naruto let her go, and snorted. The strongest? That was reason enough for him.

He tapped a Ball to her body, and captured her. He just hoped she wouldn't start picking fights with his team.

He stood up and looked over at a clapping Kushina, "Guess I have a Luxray now..."

He walked over and rubbed the Pokeball with his thumb. _"Welcome to the family, Leizi."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes (Minor Spoilers/Ideas)**

Chapter 7 comes to a _shocking_ conclusion. 100K words!

I wanted to hit 100k before New Year's so I hope you enjoy the quick update.

S.S. Anne – I originally wasn't going to do that arc, but I wanted to get some more Guardian business going, and the S.S. Anne is Team Rocket's first major operation in the Canon, so I went with it. I also realized I could introduce Kushina and Jessie earlier than I intended.

Kushina – She makes an appearance! I plan on her team being Fire based, not only does it fit her personality, but Fire-type Trainers tend to have red/orange hair.

Jessie – I was planning on introducing her next chapter, but I started writing about her and couldn't stop, so she's here. Her Romance is going to be slower than Leaf and Hinata's, I want to take my time with it, since I jumped straight into the first two.

What should Jessie's Aura Partner be? I want to give her something different from the standard Lucario/Togekiss. Maybe a Crobat? It would match her Poison, and line up with the 'High-friendship Evolution' of the other two Partners.

Leizi – I was honestly surprised at the amount of people that recommended names, I got about two or three full pages of reviews for them, _thank you!_ I saw a bunch of names I didn't know, and learned a lot from researching them all, but I'm going with Leizi, the Chinese 'Mother of Lightning', also known as Dain Mu, but I like Leizi better.

I think more people recommended Astrape and Bronte, but considering they are twin goddesses, I'll save that for later. Maybe a Plusle and Minun duo?

Gyms – I glossed over Hinata's battle a bit, and skipped over Leaf's entirely. My main reason was the already large amount of battling in the chapter, and I didn't want to extend the Gym to two chapters. Leaf will be the main focus of the next Gym, so you'll get to see her battle then.

I'm going to try to give each individual Gym their own flavor. Some of the Gyms in Canon were really cool and unique, while others were just bland and only had the battle to show for it. Like Surge's in Canon. So I'll be adding some details, hopefully spice things up a bit. I used Surge's military theme and turned him into a stereotypical American Drill Sergent.

Speaking of Surge's Gym, I'm not too sure about the 'Powering the City' thing, as I'm not an electrician. But, according to the Pokedex, Raichu can shock with 100,000 volts. That is in a _single_ attack, so I don't think it is too much of a stretch to think that an Electric-type powered Power Plant could support an entire city. Especially if it is powered by a Gym full of Electric-types.

Pikachu – I completely forgot about Pikachu's tail signifying that it was male, my bad (Pikachu Debuted _before_ Gender Differences were added, so he could've still been female). You only see one or two female Pikachu throughout the series, so it slipped my mind. When I said the Anime made Pikachu genderless, I only meant that they never really just said, 'Pikachu is male' so unless you knew about the tail thing, or you watched up until D&P, you wouldn't really know.

Scylla – She finally gets a little love in this chapter. He is going to usually save her for the most difficult opponents, since she is so powerful. She's going to be Naruto's Powerhouse. Similar to Ash's Charizard in Canon.

Naruto's Battling – I'm going to start fleshing out his Pokemon's styles now that they are getting larger move pools, you saw a bit of my future plans with Skadi's fight. I want my Battles to be unique and show strategy. I'll try to avoid slugfests.

Aura – I'm going to start going into Aura stuff now that Naruto is getting a Squire. Naruto's Pokemon will use Aura, but I'm not going to go crazy with it. I said that his Pokemon could use Aura to boost their attacks, but it won't be over-powered. If you think about it, it takes a while for the Pokemon to learn to use Aura, time that they could've spent improving their attacks, so it should balance out. The only 'advantage' Naruto's Pokemon will have over others, is more move variety.

Ash – I didn't really intend to put him in this chapter until I rewatched the Anime episode, I figured Ash needed one more kick in the ass just in case he tried to pull something stupid with the Gym Battle. While he is there, should Ash go on the S.S. Anne with Naruto?

A Review asked for me to put a list of Naruto's Pokemon at the end of the chapters. I understand it can be a bit confusing to remember each nickname, so here you go.

Naruto's Pokemon Team:

Grace – Shiny Lucario – Fighting/Steel-type – Naruto's Aura Partner

Scylla – Gyarados – Water/Flying-type

Serket – Nidorina – Poison-type

Skadi – Alolan Vulpix – Ice-type

Amaterasu 'Amy' – Growlithe – Fire-type

Luxray – Leizi – Electric-type

He is missing: Grass/Rock/Bug/Ghost/Psychic/Dragon/Dark/Normal-types


End file.
